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ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE ... Russian Bombers Now in Smoke. Next Up Key Logistics Choke Points [1]

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Date: 2025-06-04

What a week it’s been already! Putin and his Z minions were all cock sure that the Summer of 2025 will be the end of those pesky Ukrainians … bludgeon the civilians from the air with drones and bomber launched stand off ballistic missiles and on the battle front throw wave after wave of “meat assaults” at their defensive lines until they break under the strain of defending a 1,000 mile battle trace. The Russians had even managed to convinced the uncurious, intel-reading challenged Krasnov to believe this scenario … “Ukraine has no cards. They are finished.” And Krasnov actually believed that jib. But someone forgot to tell the Ukrainians that they’re toast.

The Russians may have forgotten or had not counted on the old Ukrainian traditional lore regarding павутина(pavutyna) or spider web. Ukrainians place a specially made spider web ornament on the Christmas tree, and the first person who finds it on Christmas day is assured good luck for the entire year. Thus, the code name chosen for the recent amazingly successful drone assault on Russia’s strategic bomber bases. The spirit of the pavutyna is alive and well on the side of the Ukrainians in this war.

Likely lost, however, in all the excitement and hoopla around the success of pavutyna is the news that not only has Ukraine begin the process of undermining the pillars of the Kerch Bridge but also that Ukraine has once again bombed the critical Russian logistics bridge at Chongar which connects Crimea to much of southeastern Ukraine, especially Donetsk and parts of Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts. Further that there is now an almost daily steady stream of news reporting on attacked or damaged Russian rail lines and destruction of their cargo. Most recently on June 1, 2025:

Russian military freight train blown up en route to Crimea, Ukraine's HUR claims A Russian military train carrying fuel and food was blown up overnight on June 1 near Melitopol, according to Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR). "The Muscovites' key logistical artery on the occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia Oblast and Crimea has been destroyed," HUR's statement said. kyivindependent.com/...

Russian Military Train Destroyed in Ukrainian Intel Operation, Key Rail Link Severed A Russian military train loaded with fuel and supplies was blown off the tracks late on May 31 near the occupied village of Yakymivka in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) on June 1. “The explosion occurred at night on the railway line near the temporarily occupied settlement of Yakymivka, Melitopol district,” HUR reported. “A military train belonging to the Russian occupiers was blown up.” The targeted train, a freight convoy hauling fuel tankers and cargo wagons, was reportedly headed toward Russian-occupied Crimea. united24media.com/...

And it is not just happening in Ukraine. The assaults on Russian logistics is trending up even on the Russian main land itself, often aided and abetted by pro-Ukrainian partisan groups like Atesh:

Russia says blasts led to deadly train crashes in regions bordering Ukraine https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/01/deaths-as-russian-train-hits-collapsed-bridge-after-interference

Pro-Ukraine partisans sabotage railway in Russia-occupied Donetsk Oblast, group claims kyivindependent.com/...

Partisans disrupt Russian weapons supply to Kursk Oblast www.pravda.com.ua/...

Throughout this war Ukraine has tended to pick an area of perceived Russian strength and with laser-like focus proceeded to turn it into a weakness. Principal cases in point are how Ukraine, a country without a normal naval force, managed to turn Russia’s erstwhile dominance of the western Black Sea and western Crimea into a “no go zone” for the Russian Navy and air force; and how Ukraine, a country without a strong air force has steadily turned the once vaunted Russian Air Defense System into a liability thus allowing Ukrainian air borne assets to basically romp over Russia and the occupied territories largely unchallenged. First they began with a laser-focused campaign(still ongoing) to hunt down and destroy as many of the infamous Buk mobile medium-range surface-to-air missile(SAM) systems. They have extended this campaign even into targeting and destroying Russia’s strategic long range nuclear early warning systems in mainland Russia which the Russians, out of necessity had retro-fitted to meet the needs of their Special Military Operation in Ukraine.

Up until now, the Ukrainian focus on the vast railway system and its criticality to the Russian war effort has not been with the intensity that they had approached the aforementioned segments of the Russian war machine. Or is it because of a possible absence of hyper media coverage? Blowing up a bridge in the hinterlands of Rostov or Tver oblasts may not be as sexy as blowing up part of a country’s nuclear triad. But in a given set of circumstances, it may be just as critical and effective a blow to the enemy’s war machine. With Russia now fully committed to rolling the dice one more time on a massive Summer offensive, indications are that Ukraine is about to amp up its focus on Russian logistics choke points. Russia has committed several hundred thousands of forces into the field at Kursk, Belgorod, Sumy and Kharkiv in the north. In the center, in front of the so-called Ukrainian “Fortress Belt” of Donetsk, as well as in Kherson and Zaporizhia oblasts to the south. These large groupings of forces will require huge amounts of materiel, support and sustainment to remain viable and effective.

Historically and into the present the Russian rail network has been essential for Russia's military logistics and economy. It remains the only means for Russians to haul supplies in large quantities throughout the country. The rail lines leading into Ukraine are absolutely crucial for Russia’s war effort to be operational. The Kerch bridge, with its dual rail and vehicular carriage linking Russia with Crimea stands out in this regard but its is definitely not the only weak link. There are plenty of bridges in the regions next door to Ukraine … in Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod and especially Rostov, the main Russian supply base, which are quite vulnerable.

The caption map above shows in bold relief the rail network of Russia and the Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine. Due to their length it is not feasible for Russians to protect all of it. In many cases it may be simply enough to cut a rail track just at one point to render a connection between two far-reaching cities inoperable. Although rail tracks are relatively easy to fix, the bridges connecting those rail tracks are not so easily repaired. Take out a major bridge and the connected service tracks have a problem.

Last October 2024, Doug Livermore, a Senior Vice President for Solution Engineering at the CenCore Group and the Deputy Commander for Special Operations Detachment – Joint Special Operations Command in the North Carolina Army National Guard published an essay on how Ukraine would/could wage its war against Russia’s military rail network:

Ukraine’s Railway Wars: How to Sabotage Russian Military Logistics Russian military strategy is completely dependent on its rail networks to sustain the massive logistics efforts required for the sort of large-scale combat operations (LSCO) we see today in Ukraine. With a vast geography and relatively limited alternatives for large-scale transport, the Russian military needs efficient railways to move troops, equipment, and supplies. Throughout history, including during World War II, reliance on its rail network for military logistics has created an “Achilles’ Heel” exploitable through contemporary unconventional warfare. The nature of rail infrastructure makes it a prime target for sabotage. Unlike dispersed roadways, rail networks are relatively centralized, with key nodes, bridges, and junctions acting as chokepoints. Understanding this, Ukrainian special operators and intelligence services operating by, with, and through various Russian resistance groups have strategically targeted these key nodes to great effect. “Stop the Wagons” and the “Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists” are the two most prominent Russian political groups expressing their opposition to the war by sabotaging railway infrastructure. The ongoing sabotage campaign against Russia’s rail transportation network, driven by Ukrainian special operations forces and intelligence services—and executed in coordination with partisans in occupied Ukraine and across Russia—is a critical element in undermining the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. By targeting this logistical backbone, the campaign is exploiting key vulnerabilities in Russia’s ability to sustain its forces. Expanding this effort, with increased coordination, precision, and international support, can further degrade Russia’s war machine and bring about a decisive turning point in the conflict. With every bridge damaged and rail line disrupted, Ukraine moves one step closer to stopping Russia. irregularwarfare.org/...

But I believe Mr. Livermore is perhaps not considering a key and fast evolving aspect of Ukraine’s arsenal which could be used to interdict Russian logistics … the recent emergence of Ukrainian fighter jets now integrated to use powerful air launched munitions like the U.S. made JDAM, SDB and the French-made AASM Hammer ... an all-weather smart air-to-surface weapon with an extended stand-off range. The latter especially, has proven in the last few weeks, to be absolutely devastating against major Russian assets and in pulverizing points of troop concentrations and doing so deep in the Russian rear before they even get to the front … without endangering the Ukrainian jets. And France has ramped up its production and supply to 50 AASM kits per month.

France boosts Hammer bomb output for Ukraine by nearly 40% Following JDAM failures, France rapidly modified AASM kits for Ukrainian aircraft. Within four months, the system delivered high precision against GPS-jammed targets. Each bomb can carry an explosive payload ranging from 250 to 1,000 kg. euromaidanpress.com/...

Right now Russia may be wondering how its strategic air bases got hammered but they should be getting ready for an even more devastating blow … wreckage of their critical rail network. Ukraine’s got this. Men at work ... Military Intelligence and Special Operations services helmed by young, fearless and daring Major General Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Budanov's deputy, Major General Vadym Skibitsky, Lieutenant General Vasyl Maliuk Head of the Security Service of Ukraine(hello “Operation Spider web” !!) and Lieutenant General Oleh Ivashchenko, Head of Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine will soon lower the boom on Russia’s key logistics choke points … causing their committed forces in the field to whither on the vine and eventually ask for quarter. Lest we forget, in November 2022, the Ukrainians did the same to the Russians as they forced the Russians across the Dnipro River and liberated Kherson city … by maneuver and rendering the Antonivskiy Bridge complex, the main Russian logistics route, hors de combat. It may take longer and be a lot harder this time but ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE will do it again. Soon come.

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