Drone Attacks Destroy Europe’s Longest Bridge — What’s Next?

Want to see the world’s longest leash?

Here it is…

This is the Kerch Bridge. 

It’s 12 miles long, linking  the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia and the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea with a four-lane highway and a two-way rail line. 

That makes it the longest bridge in Europe, as well as one of Vladimir Putin’s grandest achievements. 

The contract for the bridge was awarded in 2015, just a year after Russia invaded Ukraine (the first time) and annexed Crimea. And it was finished in 2019 at a cost of $4 billion.

The project was a necessity, because without it, Russia would have no physical attachment to the Ukrainian peninsula at all. So any Russian traffic to Crimea would have to pass through Ukrainian territory.

For years it’s been used by Russian tourists who like to visit Crimean beaches in the summer. But it’s obviously a crucial military corridor as well. 

For the past year it’s allowed Russia to deliver the vital weapons and supplies that are propping up its front lines.

So in addition to being a literal and figurative leash that tethers Ukraine to its would-be colonizer against its will, it’s also a military asset.

And that makes it a target.

In October 2022, the bridge was rocked by a huge explosion. The blast sundered a portion of the Crimea-bound road segment and ignited several oil tanker cars on the rail section.

The road bridge was fully opened to traffic in February, and the rail bridge became fully operational again in May.

That lasted until about a week ago. 

That’s when half a dozen seaborne drones sailed up the Kerch Strait and attacked the bridge from its underside, crippling the road once more.

That was followed by another drone attack early Monday morning. 

Russian authorities say Crimea was targeted by 17 Ukrainian drones. Apparently, 11 were intercepted, but that still left half a dozen room to connect with targets.

One of those targets was an ammunition depot in Dzhankoi, and the impact of its destruction caused the bridge to be completely shut down for the fifth time in the past week.

Additionally, while this drone swarm attack was being carried out, another group of drones descended on Moscow. 

Again, most if not all of the attacking drones were neutralized, but a couple still made contact with two high-rises. One was a business center and the other was the building that houses the defense ministry’s military orchestra.

It’s not the first time Moscow proper has been the target of a Ukrainian drone strike, either. 

Back in May, eight drones made their way toward Russia’s capital. Five were intercepted and three others were jammed to the point that they veered off course, crashing into one of the city’s most affluent suburbs.

And more are on the way. 

Ukraine has been acquiring all sorts of drones — everything from scouts to kamikazes to large bombers — from commercial and military suppliers through its “Army of Drones” initiative. 

And the latest U.S. aid package, which went out in February, included $2 billion worth of drones and ammunition. 

In fact, a company I recently recommended in my Secret Stock Files investment service was a big beneficiary of that package, netting two separate orders. 

One of its drones has a range of 25 miles, which lets it fly behind enemy lines to find and neutralize Russian troops and weapons, including artillery and main battle tanks.

Another is a fixed-wing aircraft with helicopter blades, which means it can take off and land vertically like a helicopter but fly like a plane. 

It has a maximum range of 115 miles and can remain aloft for at least 14 hours, so it’s perfectly suited for reconnaissance missions, but it’s also demonstrated an ability to deploy munitions, like a miniature precision glide bomb.

Weapons like these truly are the future.

Indeed, by the time the United States gets drawn into its next great war (almost certainly with China) it’ll probably just be our robots fighting theirs.

That wouldn’t be a bad thing, either, as it will no doubt save a lot of human lives.

And as it happens, I’ve tracked down one little-known company that’s at the center of this entire modernization effort. 

That’s because it makes the supercomputers that make technology like this possible. 

And it could make early investors a fortune. 

So be sure to check that out here.

Fight on,

Jason Simpkins

@OCSimpkins on Twitter

Jason Simpkins is Assistant Managing Editor of the Outsider Club and Investment Director of Wall Street's Proving Ground, a financial advisory focused on security companies and defense contractors. For more on Jason, check out his editor's page. 

Want to hear more from Jason? Sign up to receive emails directly from him ranging from market commentaries to opportunities that he has his eye on. 

*Follow Outsider Club on Facebook and Twitter.