In a determined effort to isolate the 300 square miles of Russia's Kursk Oblast southwest of the Seym River, the Ukrainian army and air force have launched a series of strikes targeting all three permanent bridges crossing the Seym River. Over the course of four intense days starting on Friday, Ukrainian forces successfully destroyed the bridges, effectively cutting off a significant portion of Kursk and isolating any Russian troops in the region.

Anticipating Russian engineers' response, Ukrainian forces quickly deployed explosive first-person-view drones to intercept the engineers' convoys, while rockets were used to target and destroy boats and pontoon sections being assembled in the water. As a result, six days into the river campaign, a massive swath of Kursk, along with any Russian troops present, finds itself effectively cut off from overland supplies and reinforcements. Furthermore, Ukrainian forces have created an inhospitable airspace for Russian helicopters, making large-scale aerial resupply highly challenging.

The determination shown by Ukraine to isolate Kursk Oblast signals a potential ground attack across the Seym into the same region that has just been cut off. This development, 15 days into the invasion of Kursk, adds an element of unpredictability to the ongoing conflict.

The first indications of Ukraine targeting bridges in Kursk came on Friday when online imagery revealed increasing damage to a concrete span across the Seym in Glushkovo, located nine miles west of the front line. Over the next three days, the bridge strikes continued westward, with concrete spans in Zvannoe and Karyzh suffering significant damage or complete destruction. Monday's raid on the bridge in Karyzh meant that Russian forces no longer had an easy means of transporting vehicles into Kursk Oblast southwest of the Seym.

Despite attempts by Russian engineering units to assemble floating pontoon bridges, Ukrainian intelligence, aided by satellite imagery, successfully identified and targeted at least three of these bridging units. Their efforts were further enhanced with the use of FPV drones, which were able to pinpoint and disrupt the construction and placement of pontoon sections. Notably, Ukrainian rockets fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System engaged one of the pontoons, releasing hundreds of bomblets and inflicting significant damage.

The Ukrainian Center for Defense Strategies reported that the attacks on pontoon bridges and engineering equipment in the western part of the operational zone in the Glushkovo district continued on Monday. Ukrainian forces aim to outpace the enemy in the deployment of forces in this direction, and the destruction of bridges plays a crucial role. With the Russian troops lacking easy access to the isolated region, Ukrainian forces have the advantage of being able to enter the area through border crossings.

The Ukrainian forces' success in clearing the airspace over Kursk has further hindered Russian resupply and reinforcement efforts. Utilizing surface-to-air missiles and deploying FPV drones as aerial rams, Ukrainian forces have managed to down several Russian helicopters since the invasion commenced on August 6.

As the conflict in Kursk escalates, the strategic bridge strikes carried out by Ukrainian forces have effectively cut off Russian troops in the region, significantly complicating their logistical capabilities. The future actions of both sides remain uncertain, as the battle for control over Kursk Oblast continues to unfold.