These kinds of reports about Antonivskyi Bridge damage in the Kherson region appeared after 11:00 p.m. on October 20, 2022, in Russian Telegram channels (1, 2). This fact was confirmed by representatives of the Ukrainian authorities (1, 2). Later, the Russian propaganda media also wrote about Antonivskyi Bridge: the Armed Forces of Ukraine fired at the bridge using HIMARS, and civilians died as a result.
But civilians could not be there because of the curfew, while the occupiers and collaborators failed to choose general points on what to say about the place of explosion.
Curfew
The occupying authorities of Kherson made a curfew from 22:00 to 05:00. Volodymyr Saldo, the head of the occupation administration, said at that time civilians could not cross the Antonovskyi bridge, but only collaborators or Russian military personnel who had special permits from the occupation administration could use it. The same opinion is held by Volodymyr Rogov, a representative of the occupation administration, a member of the main council of the administration of the Zaporizhia region. Instead, he says that civilians were sitting in cars near the bridge in the middle of the night, during curfew because they were waiting in line to cross the bridge in the morning.
So, where did the Armed Forces hit?
Volodymyr Rogov adds that the Armed Forces of Ukraine used high-precision projectiles during the attack on the bridge, “with an accuracy of several meters”, that is, they deliberately aimed at the traffic queue in front of the bridge.
Meanwhile, a Deputy Chairman of the occupational administration of the Kherson region, Kyrylo Stremousov said that the Armed Forces of Ukraine allegedly purposefully hit the center of Antonivskyi bridge to prevent them from moving further along the crossing. Stremousov simply refuted the Rogovsʼ statement about the place where the Armed Forces were aiming.
What about two explosions?
Nothing. It couldn’t happen, and that's what Rogov and Stremousov say about it. According to their claims, the Armed Forces fired 12 shells, 11 of which were shot down by their “famous” air defense. So, there was only one explosion at one place. And where exactly—the occupiers have not agreed on this issue among themselves.
Probably, the Russian propaganda machine simply did not have time to prepare its directives in time. And the occupiers began to improvise.
But even when they use their old, Soviet methods, it doesn't work out either—everything is very predictable. As, for example, with the probable preparation of a provocation at the Kakhovska HPP. To cover the tracks of escape and “evacuate” (illegally and forcefully remove Ukrainians who do not agree with the occupation regime) the civilians, they mined the Kakhovska HPP to stop the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Mine hydroelectric power plants, deport and misinform — a classic Russian style of warfare left over from the Second World War. For example, we can recall a quite similar story with the explosion of Dnipro HPP in August 1941.
