November 2, 2024

Taylor Daily Press

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Does Ukraine have a new target in sight?  If Melitopol falls, the entire Russian defense line will collapse.

Does Ukraine have a new target in sight? If Melitopol falls, the entire Russian defense line will collapse.

With the bombing of a gathering place for Russian soldiers and an important bridge, the Ukrainian army again struck at occupied Melitopol. The city, 75 kilometers behind the front, is the logistical hub for the Russians in southern Ukraine.

Tommy Theis

The last military action of the Ukrainian army in Melitopol dates back to late Monday evening. It remains unclear what exactly happened to the highway bridge over the Molochna Canal. According to some Russian sources, the bridge was hit by HIMARS precision missiles, while other sources suspect that it was subject to a Ukrainian attack. special forces It was detonated during a covert operation. Pictures taken after the accident seem to indicate that the bridge pillars have given way, causing the road surface to collapse.

The bridge in Melitopol partially collapsed after the explosions.rv image

Whether using missiles or explosives, the fact that Ukraine has just targeted this bridge is no coincidence: it forms an important link on the M14 highway, which connects Melitopol to Mariupol, as well as the Russian border. For now, Russian tanks and Army vehicles can still take a detour via a local branch of the highway outside the city, though it seems only a matter of time before Ukraine bombs that route as well.

On Sunday, a former hotel in Melitopol was hit by HIMARS missiles. According to the Russian state news agency TASS, two people were killed and ten wounded, according to Ukrainian sources the death toll is much higher. The complex is said to have been used as a barracks by the Wagner Group’s Russian mercenary army, and at least two hundred soldiers are said to have been killed or wounded. Eyewitnesses reported ten explosions, although some of them may have been from Russian air defences. Pictures on social media showed a huge fire in the compound, and rescuers were later seen among the rubble and the dead bodies of soldiers.

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In parallel with the attack on the bridge and the barracks, the Ukrainian army has also bombed other military and logistical targets in nearby cities, such as Tokmak, Polohi and Vasilievka, in recent days.