UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 537 - AUGUST 12, 2023

The Ukrainian armed forces reportedly carried out two missile strikes on the bridge over the Kerch Strait and a drone attack on the occupied Crimea on August 12.

Russian authorities claim that the Russian air defense system shot down up to three Ukrainian surface-to-surface missiles fired from S-200 systems targeting the bridge over the Kerch Strait. The Russian Ministry of Defense also reports that Ukrainian armed forces fired 20 drones at the occupied Crimea overnight on August 11-12. The Russian Ministry of Defense claims that the Russian air defense system shot down 14 Ukrainian drones and another 6 drones using electronic warfare systems. A Russian military blogger close to the Kremlin says that Russian air defense units of the 31st Air Defense Division shot down one of the Ukrainian missiles near Kerch on the occupied Crimea.

Russian sources claim that after the Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, Russian authorities halted traffic on the bridge for several hours, resulting in a traffic jam of nearly 1,300 cars. They also suggest that the Crimean occupation authorities have initiated harsher legal actions against the publication of photos and videos revealing locations of military installations such as air defense systems, likely in response to a photo released today showing the location of a Russian air defense system on the occupied Crimea.

The Ukrainian attacks on Russian logistics in Crimea are part of a targeted disruption campaign aimed at creating favorable conditions for larger counterattacks. Previous Ukrainian strikes on bridges along Russian Ground Lines of Communication (GLOCs) between the occupied Crimea and the occupied Kherson Oblast continue to disrupt Russian logistics.

The full Russian Offensive Update 536 is available directly at UNDERSTANDING WAR.

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