The authorities of the Russian Federation are building a third tower for air defense near the Kerch Bridge – media

The Russian authorities are strengthening the protection of the Kerch Bridge, which connects the occupied Crimea with Russia, by starting the construction of a third tower to accommodate the short-range air defense system, writes the Center for Journalistic Investigations.

“The first discovered towers consist of two parts, of which the inner one is a transformer tower with stairs, the outer one is a metal frame that secures and holds the entire structure, on top of which is placed the combat module of the anti-aircraft missile and gun complex (ZRPK) “Pantsir-S1M” , – it is stated in messages

The Center for Investigative Journalism publishes a photo taken in late November 2024, which captures the interior of the tower, installed, approximately, in the area of ​​the 10th span, if counted from the arch of the bridge.

Journalists drew attention to the fact that the first two towers with Pantsir-S1M complexes were discovered at the end of September 2024 on both sides of the viaduct on the island of Tuzla, and they appeared there, approximately, in the middle of the same month.

In mid-November, the Central Bureau of Investigation reported that the line of metal “hedgehogs” in the Kerch bridge area had doubled in a month and reached 1.5 kilometers.

Russia is trying to prevent naval drone attacks and protect the bridge across the Kerch Strait. In the summer of 2024, barges began to be placed on the southern side of the bridge, later floating boom structures appeared, running parallel to the bridge. Satellite images showed a significant increase in the number of barges protecting the bridge.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, in an interview with the British publication The Guardian, published on July 24, refused to name the terms of the possible destruction of the Kerch bridge connecting the occupied peninsula with Russia, but emphasized that Kyiv plans to return Crimea. “It’s real. Of course, this is a big military secret,” said the general.

Read also: ISW assessed whether Ukraine will be able to hit ATACMS on the Kerch Bridge