Chonhar Bridge

Chonhar Bridge (Чонгарські мости), also transliterated from Russian as Chongar Bridge (Чонгарские мосты) is a rail bridge and dam that traverses the Syvash. The bridge is a part of the Novooleksiivka-Dzhankoi rail line, and is a part of the M18 Highway. There is also an abandoned road bridge dozens of meters away.

History
After the Russian Empire annexed the Crimean Khanate in 1783, they began a series of infrastructure projects to improve transportation in the peninsula, known as the "gateway of Crimea" project. The bridge was estimated to be constructed in early 19th century, as the bridge was included in a map from 1836, and became a second land route to access Crimea besides the Perekop Isthmus.

During the Crimean War in 1850s, Chonhar Bridge became immensely important to the defending Russians, and provided a crucial passage for supplies to the military. One of the teams under Russian general Dmitry Lobanov-Rostovsky successfully defended the bridge against enemy attacks.

During the Crimean Operation in Ukrainian-Soviet War in 1918, the Ukrainian military attacked the Chonhar Bridge.

In 2014, in response to the Russian annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian government placed mines on the Ukrainian end of several bridges connecting mainland Ukraine to Crimea, including the Chonhar Bridge. This strategy successfully prevented Russian forces from spilling over beyond Crimea.

Russian invasion of Ukraine
On April 25, 2022, during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that the Chonhar Bridge has been mined, and that the Ukrainians are at a 1-to-15 disadvantage against the Russian advance. There were later claims that the bridge has been demined, which the General Staff denied.

On August 10, 2022, a fire broke out near the southern end of the bridge, and was caused by an explosion in nearby Chonhar.

On June 22, 2023 at about 5pm, there were reports of the Ukrainian military conducting counteroffensive operations in the region. According to investigations of the remnants of the bridge and nearby areas, it was likely that the Ukrainian military struck the bridge with British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles. This attack was confirmed by a representative of the General Staff about two weeks after.

Since this is one of only a few land connections between mainland occupied Ukraine, the destruction of these bridges posed a major challenge for Russian logistics in the war.

In the morning of July 29, 2023, the Ukrainian military successfully attacked Russian positions near the bridge, and once again disrupted their logistics, especially of weaponry and foodstuffs. These reports were quickly confirmed by the Strategic command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

On August 6, 2023, the Ukrainian Air Force used Su-24 fighter jets to fire Storm Shadow missiles towards the Chonhar and Henichesk Bridge, leading to severe destruction of both bridges.

Description
Chonhar rail bridge is a double-track bridge, and consists of a spanning structure North of the Chonhar Strait, and also a dam that traverses the Syvash itself.

Since December 27, 2014, the Ukrainiain government ordered the suspension of rail connection on the bridge due to Russian annexation. The contact network was subsequently dismantled, and then covered with barbed wire to prevent Russian use.

The current bridge traverses the Chonhar Strait, connecting the Chonhar peninsula in the mainland with the Tiup-Dzhankoi peninsula in Crimea. This strait has two new road bridges (New Chonhar Bridge and Kherson Bridge), located on M18 Highway. The old Chonhar bridge is located south of this bridge, and is in a state of disrepair.

On both coasts of the Chonhar Bridge, the area is filled with defence positions and installations from the Soviet-German War. In 2014, following the Russian annexation of Crimea, the military on both sides constructed new defences. Prior to the Russian invasion in 2022, the Ukrainians operated a checkpoint oin the Ukrainian end of the Chonhar Bridge, and the Russians operated one on their end of the Kherson Bridge.