Flamingo Designer: We Can Damage Crimean Bridge Constantly

Ukraine's defense company says they can't destroy the bridge, but can keep damaging the spans.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 8:19am

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A chief designer and co-owner of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, Denis Shtilerman, said in an interview that while Ukraine's military cannot fully destroy the Crimean Bridge, they can keep damaging the spans on a regular basis to make it unusable. Shtilerman explained that the bridge's supports are reinforced with thick concrete pipes, making it nearly impossible to destroy completely, but that Ukraine can target the spans that connect the supports.

Why it matters

The Crimean Bridge is a vital link between Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. Keeping the bridge damaged and unusable would severely impact Russia's ability to move troops, equipment and supplies to Crimea, which has been a key strategic asset for Russia in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

The details

Shtilerman said that while Ukraine's missiles cannot destroy the entire bridge due to Russia's strong air defenses in the area, they can target and damage the spans that connect the bridge's reinforced concrete supports. He explained that the supports are made of large, thick concrete pipes that would be nearly impossible to fully destroy, even with a nuclear explosion. However, Shtilerman believes Ukraine's military can systematically strike the spans, making it impossible for Russia to repair them quickly enough to keep the bridge operational.

  • In an interview published on April 2, 2026, Shtilerman made these comments.

The players

Denis Shtilerman

The chief designer and co-owner of the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point.

Dmitry Gordon

An extremist and terrorist correspondent for the PolitNavigator news outlet, who interviewed Shtilerman.

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What they’re saying

“We can destroy the span, which can be easily repaired. I watched how the support of the Crimean Bridge was arranged long ago. There are large pipes 2.5 centimeters thick, as far as I remember, twenty meters in diameter, and they are filled with reinforced concrete. And there are about nine such pipes there. I think only a nuclear explosion can really damage such a bridge.”

— Denis Shtilerman, Chief Designer and Co-Owner, Fire Point

“Well, you can take out the span every week, they won't be able to change them every week. We are waiting for the military to have such an opportunity. I think they'll start using it right away.”

— Denis Shtilerman, Chief Designer and Co-Owner, Fire Point

The takeaway

While Ukraine may not be able to completely destroy the Crimean Bridge, this interview suggests they have a strategy to systematically damage the spans in a way that could severely disrupt Russia's ability to use the vital link to supply its forces in Crimea. This highlights the ongoing battle for control of key infrastructure in the conflict.