Ukraine is now taking responsibility for the July 17 attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge linking mainland Russia to the Crimean peninsula — the territory Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Although the roadway portion of the bridge was mostly destroyed, the railroad artery for Russian troops and military supplies escaped serious damage.

Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan says Ukraine now has a chance to make a “huge breakthrough” in the war. And he believes if they can’t make it happen soon … it may never happen.

Excerpted from Peter’s July 20 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:

Unless you’ve been living under a rock (or stuck in the mountains), you’ve probably heard that the Kerch Strait Bridge was attacked again. While this attack took Russia’s vehicular transport capabilities offline, there’s much more at stake here.

This bridge is Russia’s most important logistical infrastructure in this war. It serves as the primary method Russia uses to get equipment, troops, and fuel into the front. They fancy this route in particular because it is out of artillery range, unlike the mainland alternatives.

Due to the vehicle bomb attack last year, the Kerch Strait Bridge was already operating at a limited capacity; vehicle transport was fine, but only one of two rail lines was operational. So with this new attack taking the vehicle spans offline, the singular light cargo rail line is the last man standing.

This is bad news for Russia, and if they can’t fix it quickly, it could evolve into a massive global embarrassment. Right now, the Ukrainians have a chance to make a huge breakthrough, but if they can’t make it happen soon…it may never happen. So be sure to keep a close eye on Ukraine.