Russia strengthens protection of Crimean bridge with additional air defense systems (photo)
3.12.2024 - 10:12
Near the illegally built bridge across the Kerch Strait, the Russian invaders are installing new towers with air defense systems.
The invaders have begun construction of a third tower designed to house short-range air defense systems. The Center for Investigative Journalism reports this.
The new tower was spotted in November near the 10th span of the bridge, near the arch. In addition, analysts have discovered about 30 similar structures at the construction site on the Kerch side. The first two towers appeared in September 2024 near the viaduct on Tuzla Island.
It is currently unclear what the third tower is based on, but experts suggest that it may rely on parallel bridges with lattices that the occupiers are building to protect the supports and house air defense.
The previously erected towers house Pantsir-S1M anti-aircraft missile and gun systems (ZRGK). The design of the towers includes an internal part with stairs and an external metal frame that supports the entire structure.
According to the technical characteristics, the Pantsir-S1M SAM system can hit targets at an altitude of up to 15 km and within a radius of 20 km, and combining such systems into groups increases the protection zone. Each new tower increases the Kerch Bridge’s ability to resist missile and drone attacks from Ukraine.
As USM wrote, earlier the Crimean Bridge’s boom barriers were brought to the Crimean coast.
