Ukraine takes out key bridge 'destroying' Russian plans for south 'advancement'

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Ukrainian forces took out a key bridge in Kherson, defense officials said Wednesday, "destroying" Russia’s plans as it looks to advance its troops in the south.

Head of the joint coordination press center for the Ukrainian Defense Forces, Natalia Humeniuk, said that high precision strikes had hit the Antonovsky Bridge in an attempt to control Russian logistical and transportation routes, Ukrainian news outlets first reported. 

Ukrainian infantrymen train near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine May 09, 2022. (John Moore/Getty Images)

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When pressed about the implications of Kyiv targeting its own infrastructure, Humeniuk told reporters, "We are not destroying infrastructure, we are destroying the enemy’s plans."

The bridge, which crosses the Dnieper River, has become a major strategic target for Ukrainian defense forces in recent weeks as they look sever access between the Russian army in Kherson to occupied areas off of the Crimean Peninsula.  

It is unclear what weapon was used to target the bridge but comes as Ukraine has stalled Russian forces along the front lines with the aid of U.S. supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

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A picture taken on July 21, 2022 shows craters on Kherson's Antonovsky bridge across the Dnipro river caused by a Ukrainian rocket strike, amid the ongoing Russian military action in Ukraine.  (STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

The bridge was damaged last week as Ukrainian forces sought to staunch Moscow’s logistical corridor, though U.K. defense officials said they believed that as of Friday Russian forces had been able to repair it enough to get "some traffic" through. 

Posts to Telegram surfaced Tuesday night suggesting there were explosions targeting the Antonovsky Bridge and Kyrylo Stremousov, who has been described as a "collaborator" for Russia, reported there was damage to the thoroughfare following a series of strikes by Ukrainian forces, according to Pravda. 

"The enemy is concentrating its main efforts on preventing the advance of our troops," Ukrainian Defense officials said in an operational updated Wednesday. "The enemy actively uses UAVs for aerial reconnaissance."

Ukrainian officials said Wednesday that German Mars II rocket systems and three more self-propelled PzH 2000 howitzers had been delivered to Ukraine. 

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Rezniko Tuesday about Washington’s recent commitment to sending additional HIMARS.

A Ukrainian tank crew takes part in a training exercise with infantrymen on May 09, 2022 near Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, Ukraine.  (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

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Ukrainian defense officials confirmed for Fox News Digital that Russian forces have remained stalled on the front lines for two weeks following the successful deployment of HIMARS. 

However, Rezniko has warned that Ukrainian forces will need at least 50 systems like the HIMARS to "hold back" Russian forces and at least 100 systems "for an effective counter-offensive."