Nov 15, 2026
Ukrainian forces have struck at least six bridges along a major Russian logistics corridor since early October, damaging transport links connecting Russia’s Rostov region with occupied southern Ukraine, including routes used to supply Russian forces in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Crimea.
According to Ukrainian defense outlet Militarnyi on November 15, citing the OSINT monitoring group Oko Gora, the strikes targeted railway and highway bridges in Russia’s Rostov region and near occupied Novoazovsk in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
The attacks have affected several sections of the R-280 highway corridor, a major transportation route linking Rostov-on-Don with temporarily occupied Mariupol, Berdiansk, Melitopol, and Crimea. The first reported strikes occurred on October 10, when Ukrainian drones targeted two bridges across the Don River in Rostov-on-Don.
One drone struck the operating mechanism of a railway drawbridge on the Rostov–Bataysk line. A separate attack damaged the combined road and railway Western Bridge. Neither crossing sustained critical damage, and traffic resumed shortly afterward.
A further strike on November 8 damaged a bridge across the Mius River near Nataliivka on the R-280 highway.
The governor of Russia’s Rostov region confirmed damage to the roadway and two crawler cranes involved in reconstruction work. The bridge had been undergoing expansion to four lanes when it was attacked.
Traffic was initially suspended, although local traffic authorities reported that limited movement resumed on November 14 using a temporary bridge with alternating one-way traffic. On November 11, Ukrainian forces also reportedly inflicted critical damage on a bridge near Huselshchykove, close to temporarily occupied Novoazovsk.
The crossing had served as an alternative to another bridge over the Hruzkyi Yelanchyk River, which was undergoing repairs following earlier Ukrainian strikes.
The closure reportedly complicated road transportation between Russia’s Rostov region and temporarily occupied southern Donetsk region, potentially forcing vehicles to travel an additional 150 kilometers (93 miles).
The latest attacks occurred overnight on November 15, when drones struck two more crossings in the Rostov region. One attack damaged a highway overpass above railway tracks in the Neklinovsky district, prompting authorities to close the crossing.
Another strike targeted a bridge across the Mius River near Mykolaivka, north of the crossing attacked on November 8. Photographs published following the attack appear to show the bridge completely destroyed.
The R-280 highway, which Russian authorities call the Novorossiya highway, incorporates sections of Ukraine’s M-14 and M-18 highways alongside local roads. The corridor connects Rostov-on-Don with Russian-occupied territories along the Sea of Azov and provides an important overland supply route toward Crimea.
According to Militarnyi, restrictions on freight transportation across the Crimean Bridge, combined with previous Ukrainian missile and drone strikes against ferries and cargo vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, have increased Russia’s dependence on the R-280 corridor.
The outlet describes the highway as effectively the only remaining major logistics route supporting Russian transportation to and from Crimea, as well as a principal supply corridor for temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported a record of more than 41,000 verified strikes against Russian troops in October, with nearly 24,000 Russian personnel reportedly killed. Since the beginning of 2026, Ukrainian forces have confirmed strikes against more than 320,000 Russian troops.