Ukrainian forces have dramatically stepped up drone strikes on a critical Russian supply road in occupied southern Ukraine, cutting military cargo traffic by 71 per cent in two weeks and leaving the route – once the backbone of Moscow’s southern logistics – littered with destroyed trucks and tankers.
Road at the centre of it all
The R-280 highway, which Russian forces call the “Novorossiya” route, runs from Rostov-on-Don in Russia through the occupied territories of Melitopol and Mariupol along the Sea of Azov coastline to Crimea. It is Moscow’s primary land corridor for supplying its forces in the south, and a critical alternative to the Kerch Bridge, which is more exposed and has itself been struck before.
Ukrainian forces now call it ‘highway of death’
The road has been almost entirely closed to civilian traffic since late May. Video footage recorded by drivers shows burnt-out trucks on the roadside, and in some cases captures drone strikes as they happen.
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Campaign behind the strikes
The strikes are part of a deliberate Ukrainian strategy called the “middle strike campaign” – targeting Russian assets located between 20 km and 200 km behind the frontline, with a specific focus on logistics and supply lines.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 5 that such strikes had quadrupled since February.
“There are now twice as many strikes at distances of 20km-plus compared with March, and four times as many compared with February. And there will be even more. This is a priority area,” Zelenskyy said, according to The Guardian.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was more direct about the goal, describing it as a “logistics lockdown.”
“Our task now, as directed by the president, is to maximise the middle strike and, in coordination with the military, create a complete logistics lockdown for the enemy,” Fedorov said. “The enemy will no longer feel safe even at a great distance from the frontline.”
Drones, swarms, and AI
Ukrainian drone units have been tight-lipped about the precise tactics involved, but the campaign appears to centre on deploying swarms of drones against roads, railways, and bridges in numbers that have caught Russian forces off guard.
US-produced Hornet drones – roughly the size of a large surfboard with a range of about 150 km – have featured heavily in the attacks, with operators using artificial intelligence to identify truck traffic and strike convoys almost continuously.
Ukraine has also deployed a new locally produced fixed-wing drone called the Morrigan, a two-metre-long lightweight aircraft that can be launched from a slingshot or rail, removing the need for a runway or airfield. A Russian official quoted by independent outlet Meduza also indicated that airdropped mines are being used.
Yevgeny Balitsky, the Kremlin-installed head of the occupied part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, described A “comprehensive remote mining system” that detonates on movement, warning drivers to “limit trips unless absolutely necessary,” as reported by The Guardian.
Impact on Russian supply lines
The results have been significant. On Tuesday, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said military cargo traffic along the highway had fallen by 71 per cent over the past two weeks.
Traffic on the Chonhar Bridge – a key section connecting Russia-occupied Kherson province to Crimea – was suspended this week after a series of Ukrainian drone strikes. Ukraine’s 1st Separate Assault Regiment said on Tuesday: “We see all movements and totally control the enemy’s repair works. We are ready to make our long-range adjustments at any moment.”
One immediate consequence has been fuel shortages in Crimea. Destroyed trucks now line the route, as Russian convoys have attempted to move off main roads to avoid detection.
On May 21, Vladimir Saldo, the Kremlin-appointed governor of the Russian-occupied Kherson region, signed a decree restricting civilian truck movements along the R-280 near the Sea of Azov coastline.
How analysts see it
The campaign has drawn attention from independent defence analysts. The US-based Institute for the Study of War said in a recent update: “Ukrainian intermediate-range strikes are already achieving notable operational effects, including degrading Russia’s ability to use the key Russian highway connecting Russia to occupied Crimea and GLOCs [ground lines of communication] around Donetsk City.”
Russia’s reaction has been pointed. Saldo compared the strikes to the Nazi siege of Leningrad during the Second World War, saying: “This is cynical barbarism. In its cruelty, these actions are reminiscent of the fascist blockade of Leningrad, when the enemy tried to intimidate people, sever connections between territories, and break the will of the civilian population.”
(With inputs from The Guardian)
Destroyed trucks now line the route, as Russian convoys have attempted to move off main roads to avoid detection. (Screenshot/twitter.com/NOELreports) 
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