Ukrainian drones damage key Rostov bridge on supply road to occupied south
A drone strike on 8 November damaged a bridge over the Mius River on Russia's R-280 highway, which links Rostov region with occupied Mariupol, Melitopol and Crimea, and shut traffic on the road, the regional governor said.
Ukrainian drone strikes on the morning of Sunday, 8 November, damaged a bridge and energy facilities in Russia’s Rostov region, causing road closures and blackouts, regional Governor Yuri Slyusar said, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.
The bridge
Slyusar said drone debris damaged the bridge over the Mius River on the R-280 highway, and traffic on the approach road was completely shut down. According to the Kyiv Independent, the bridge, at the 97th kilometre of the highway in the Neklinovsky district, connects the Russian region with the occupied Ukrainian territories of Mariupol, Melitopol and Crimea.
The Ukrainian monitoring channel Exilenova-Plus published footage it said showed the strike and claimed an FP-2 drone was used; the Kyiv Independent said it could not verify those claims.
Power outages
The governor later said a drone also damaged a transformer at the Sulin substation in the Millerovsky district, cutting power to several villages. No casualties were reported.
Context
Ukraine’s “middle strike” campaign, launched in spring 2026, has targeted Russian military logistics along the R-280 — a road the Kyiv Independent describes as part of the so-called “highway of death” carrying military cargo from Russia into occupied Ukraine. Russia’s defence ministry said it intercepted 142 Ukrainian drones overnight over several regions including Rostov, according to RIA Novosti as summarised by The War Record.
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