Day 485 of the Russia-Ukraine war: Key events

These are the main developments as the war enters its 485th day.

As of Friday, June 23, 2023, this is the situation.

A fight

This is a route used by the Russian military to move between Crimea and other parts of Ukraine

Russian investigators said four missiles had been fired by Ukrainian forces at the bridge, the RIA news agency reported. One of the missiles had French markings, according to a military investigator's spokesman.

Ali Hashem, reporting from Mariupol, said one of three bridges in the area had been damaged. A number of analysts believe the attack was the result of fears that the Russians were mobilizing from that region so that the army could resupply towards Kherson. The Russian side still has a lot to say about how this will be handled.

Officials appointed by the Russian government

The Russian-appointed governor of Kherson, which Russian forces have captured in a "special military operation", said the bridge had been damaged but no one had been injured.

On one picture Saldo posted on Telegram, water was visible beneath the bridge's surface and debris was scattered nearby. Saldo suggested Ukraine used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

Saldo suggested Ukraine may have used British-supplied Storm Shadow cruise missiles for the attack in a picture he posted on Telegram with a large hole in the bridge's surface and water below.

The Kherson region and Crimea have a link that continues to operate - a reserve route has been set up temporarily for vehicular traffic."

Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov urged people to remain calm and said specialists were examining the site to determine when traffic over the bridge could resume.

Remarks from Ukraine

A Ukrainian official on the Kherson region's governing body, Yuriy Sobolevsky, said the attack was a blow to the occupiers' military logistics. Kiev says it wants to retake Crimea and drive all Russian forces out of its territory. In addition to psychological impacts on the occupiers, he added, “There is no safe place on Kherson region's territory where they can feel safe.”