The Ukrainian military will be able to destroy the Crimean bridge with a sufficient number of guided missiles, such as ATACMS and German Taurus missiles.
Source. Former commander of the US Army in Europe Ben Hodges writes about this in an article for Foreign Affairs, moscowtimes.eu reports.
The retired general calls the construction of the bridge part of Moscow's strategy to dominate Ukraine and the Black Sea region. Its destruction could be the key to Ukraine's victory not only in Crimea, but in the war as a whole.
The main problem for the Ukrainian Armed Forces is the fact that the bridge is resistant to damage and attacks. A massive attack with powerful missiles would be needed to completely disable it. However, even advanced missiles such as ATACMS have limited accuracy, and the probability of hitting the bridge is low.
Hodges noted that Germany's Taurus missile, designed to destroy bunkers, might have a better chance of damaging one or more bridge piers. However, Germany refuses to provide Ukraine with these missiles because of fears of a Russian response.
The ex-commander emphasizes that the most effective way to destroy the bridge is to dismantle it using explosive charges. However, this requires direct access to the bridge, which Ukrainian troops do not yet have.
Hodges concluded that until the Crimean peninsula is liberated, Ukraine should continue to attack the bridge with all available means, even if it only temporarily disables it.
Continued attacks could slow down Russian logistics and reduce the advantage Moscow gains from annexing the peninsula.
He also reminded that Russia is considering building a tunnel under the Kerch Strait with China, which shows their concern about the threat of the bridge being destroyed.
Hodges called on the United States to increase the supply of necessary weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and to intensify diplomatic efforts to convince Germany to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles. He emphasized that the destruction of the Crimean bridge is a very realistic task if the necessary tools are available.
Background. In late November, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Malyuk, said that the Crimean bridge was doomed, adding that the Crimean bridge was an absolutely legitimate target for Ukraine.