Ukraine Drones Cut Russian R-280 Traffic 71%
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- Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian strikes at distances of 20km-plus behind the front have quadrupled since February and doubled since March, calling the effort a presidential priority area.
- Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, reported military cargo traffic on the R-280 fell 71% over the past two weeks, the clearest measure of the campaign's impact.
- Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov framed the operation's goal as a 'complete logistics lockdown,' with extra funds and drones directed to the most effective units.
- The Chonhar Bridge, a key section of the R-280 connecting occupied Kherson to Crimea, had traffic suspended this week after a series of strikes; Ukraine's 1st Separate Assault Regiment said it 'totally controls' enemy repair works.
- The R-280 has been almost completely closed to civilian traffic since late May, and the campaign has already produced fuel shortages in Crimea, the peninsula the corridor ultimately serves.
- The weapon mix includes US-produced Hornet drones with AI-assisted targeting and a locally built 2-metre fixed-wing Morrigan drone, with airdropped mines also reportedly deployed.
Why it matters: A 71% collapse in military cargo traffic on the R-280 over two weeks shows Ukraine's 'middle strike' campaign is materially degrading Moscow's main land supply line to occupied southern Ukraine and Crimea, where fuel shortages are already biting. Because the R-280 exists specifically as an alternative to the 'exposed' Kerch Bridge, degrading it raises the cost and risk of every resupply run to Russia's southern forces.
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