"The Crimean Bridge Will Be Destroyed Anyway": An Interview with Serhiy Bratchuk on Ukraine's New Goals

Ukraine is expanding the scope of its strikes against Russian rear areas, targeting strategic oil refineries and digital infrastructure thousands of kilometers from the border. At the same time, Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure in an effort to put pressure on Ukrainians and wear down the country.

Serhiy Bratchuk ,a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army , explained in an interview with Channel 24 how strikes on the Omsk oil refinery and data centers are weakening Russia’s resource capabilities and why the Kremlin is trying to intimidate Ukrainians with new threats. He also assessed the significance of the Crimean Bridge for Russian logistics, the occupiers’ losses, and the prospects for the ongoing conflict.

Strike on the Omsk Oil Refinery, 2,500 kilometers from Ukraine

The Ukrainian defense company Fire Point confirmed the strike on the Omsk Oil Refinery, Russia’s largest oil refinery with a capacity of 22–23 million tons per year. According to the company, the Ukrainian Defense Forces attacked the Russian facility using upgraded FP-1 drones from a distance of more than 2,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Mr. Serhiy, what does this long-range penetration of Russian air defenses and this high-value target tell us? What should we understand about it?

To be honest, I’m not surprised – and I don’t think Ukrainian citizens are either – that our drones can cover such distances. Today, we’re all interested in what was actually hit. Look at how much Ukrainian society has matured, although in many respects we, unfortunately, still aren’t quite as disciplined as we should be: we film enemy airstrikes, thereby helping the Russians coordinate their attacks.

But the main question is: Are our defense forces targeting precisely those objectives that affect the Russian army’s capabilities? Of course, they are targeting precisely those objectives. And we are meeting precisely on the anniversary of a very important date in the history of the modern military chronicles of Ukraine’s defense forces – the first strike on the Crimean Bridge in 2022, carried out by our Security Service. Two more strikes followed.

Serhiy Bratchuk on the Russians’ new problems caused by Ukraine’s attacks: video

When we talk about Omsk, the Urals, or the region beyond the Urals, it’s not just about Chapaev, who drowned in the Ural River. It’s about the fact that today Ukraine is destroying the Russian Federation’s energy capabilities and resources. When the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense reports that at least 51% of Russian oil refineries have been hit, it struck me: for the first time in history, I believe, a controlling stake in the Russian Federation’s oil refining industry is in the hands of Ukraine – specifically, the Defense Forces – at 51%.

Did we even dream of this a year ago? So we are truly talking about the destruction of a vital resource for the Russian army. Emotionally speaking, just like you, and like the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians, I would, of course, like to take revenge today in a completely different way for Kramatorsk, Pryluky, Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Poltava, our Crimea, for my Left Bank, for all our damaged, violated, and temporarily occupied territories, for our slain citizens – especially the children.

But we must endure all of this. Today, this is the only way we can force Russia into a corner. This is precisely how we can ensure that Russia, one way or another, will be forced to sit down at the negotiating table. Unfortunately, that has not happened yet today. Will it happen tomorrow? I won’t say I doubt it, but there is still a very long way to go. However, steps like Omsk Oil Refinery – and even the fact that they don’t have internet access today – are steps in the right direction.

The internet isn’t just about Russian pornographic content; it’s also about governance and communication. So we need to take a rational approach here as well. Obviously, problems are arising – albeit temporary ones – in the banking and financial sectors, among others. And their “Russian StarLink” system won’t help here.

But in any case, today we’re making the right choice. And I didn’t mention the Crimean Bridge for no reason. We’re not saying it should simply be abandoned and destroyed – it will be dismantled. We understand everything perfectly well.

I came up with a formula for myself a long time ago: it’s officially recognized thatCrimean Bridgewas hit three times – in 2022, 2023, and 2025. God loves the number three. But we say it differently: “God isn’t a fool; he loves a nickel.” So we’ve got at least two more chances. We’ve played it safe. So the Crimean Bridge will be destroyed anyway.

Today we must do what the defense forces are doing today. Crimea is burning, ablaze. For some reason, people have forgotten that in Crimea, in Bakhchysarai, in the Bakhchysarai district, they’re only given three hours of electricity a day.

No, that’s not normal. It would be better if they had none at all. And that goes for water, in particular. They’ve disgraced our Crimea so much with the lack of water and electricity that we still have a great deal of work ahead of us. But rebuilding means living peacefully under a just peace.

Returning to our goals, you can see: we must take revenge on the enemy, but we’re doing so in a different way – directly on the front lines. Look at these insane losses the Russians are suffering. Some people say: “What nation? What army?” Listen, Putin doesn’t care: 30,000 here, 30,000 there, a million, a million two hundred – as long as they’re alive, he’ll keep sending them to war.

Yandex’s data center, the internet, and Russia’s military logistics

They’re not a nation; they’re a rabble. Mr. Serhiy, that’s really true. I was wondering why they located the Yandex data center in a town with the picturesque name of Sasovo? Not just so I could joke for half the day that they have “Sasova” there. But because they also love watching those kinds of obscene little videos. And that’s a glitch.

That’s exactly why we’re targeting this data center. Let me clarify once more: this affects not only internet access for Russians – the civilian Russian masses – but also military logistics – specifically, internet-based logistics.

It’s a matter of command and control. Today we see that Ukraine is facing enormous challenges. They’re feeding us information about Surovikin and the destruction of Kyiv’s bridges – as if Putin had given him that order. But show me a person who was at a meeting with Putin and then came out and said anything about it. Except maybe Peskov. He’s the only one authorized to speak, but even what he says isn’t true.

That’s why I’m skeptical about this. There’s a logic to it: first, to intimidate Ukrainians as much as possible. And today, people from Zaporizhzhia are calling me, and they’ve already started attacking the bridges in Zaporizhzhia. Let’s apply logic as much as possible.

Name at least one piece of infrastructure, at least one sector of our economy, that the enemy hasn’t attacked at least once or several times since 2022. I don’t know of any. Going back to the start of the war: where did the enemy begin? With missile strikes on logistics – specifically, on bridges.

Take the Odesa region – my favorite and now my home, just like all of Ukraine. The bridge in Zatoka, the bridge in Mayaky – rockets have been flying there every day since 2022. Water supply facilities were targeted. I won’t even mention the energy sector – everything that embodies Russia’s terrorist nature: our schools, our hospitals – everything, everything, everything – the enemy has attacked it all.

That’s why today we really are… Surovikin – as I’ve already used that fine Ukrainian word – has reappeared. He was once sent to command the occupation forces in Ukraine. Remember what he did back then? He lost the right bank of the Kherson region. He fled, retreated, and “offensively retreated.”

All he could do was destroy things so he could retreat. In Russia, there are no officers, no honor, no soldiers. They’re all terrorists, murderers. They, too, must be destroyed. What can stop Surovikin, if nothing can stop Putin himself? They’ll be targeting our bridges, and this is an extremely serious challenge for us.

How will we respond to this? Of course, by defending our airspace. And today, the president’s statement that certain air defense systems are even set to arrive gives us cause for optimism. I really want to believe this, and most importantly, the battlefield will show whether this matches reality.

The enemy is intimidating in many ways. The enemy exerts emotional pressure. Why is it showing its claws once again today? Because it’s playing on our emotions. The enemy’s number one priority isn’t tank columns or even rocket attacks. The priority is to influence Ukrainians – our consciousness, our worldviews, and our resilience – to break us so that we raise our hands and shout that we’re ready to surrender. That’s what the enemy is striving for. But it won’t succeed.

Russia’s Shortage of Human Resources and War Crimes

Hamish de Breton-Gordon believes that Russia is suffering from a shortage of manpower, and that Putin is avoiding open mobilization due to the risk of social unrest. At the same time, the Kremlin continues to rely on bombings and strikes against the energy infrastructure of Ukrainian cities, even though this does not guarantee victory. Do Russian generals really not understand that such a strategy will not help them win the war?

They fail to understand one more thing: each of them will have to answer for war crimes. As a human being and as a deacon of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, I will say this: of course, we all hope for and believe in human justice, but I believe even more in God’s judgment – and even more so in divine retribution. That is why I hope they will not live to face an international tribunal.

And here, the head of the Office of the President, Mr. Budanov – a military intelligence officer – always remains an intelligence officer. What did he say to the Russian pilots? “You’re all going to die.” That may not be diplomatic, but that’s the message he conveyed.

Then again, I can’t call for this right now: “Let’s kill"General Armageddon".” Although why can’t I? Let’s put it this way: we’ll destroy him. But today I can’t say things that go beyond the rules of war – no matter how much it pains me. I lost my mother during the occupation, so I suppose I have a right to feel this way. But when it comes to whether or not the rules of war are being violated, we will fight this war with dignity. And Omsk demonstrated that today.

Look: 46,000 for September. Of those, 65% – that’s over 30,000 – are “two-hundreds.” Previously, 30,000 was the enemy’s standard monthly casualty figure, and of those, less than half were killed, while the majority were wounded. Today we’re talking about 30,000 killed.

This may be politically incorrect, but I must mention former Defense Minister Fedorov, who spoke of 50,000 occupiers that we would eliminate every month.

I hoped that this was a technical, mathematical, or tactical calculation, because if the enemy continues to throw in the corresponding number of people, increasing this “cannon fodder,” then it stands to reason that the number of occupiers eliminated will rise. That is exactly what we are seeing today. I would very much like to maintain this pace.

I’m not saying that 50,000 is some kind of end in itself. I’d like to see 100,000 – or better yet, 200,000 – and for all of this to end with a just peace for Ukraine. But we can, we know how, and we’re breaking through this so-called Russian “air defense” line.

I’m not saying that the other side doesn’t know how to fight. If I said that, my brothers-in-arms would beat me up – and they’d be right to do so. There are those over there who know how to fight. Winning a battle isn’t like going for a walk. We, too, are dying, getting wounded, and losing our loved ones. But that makes the contribution of our brothers-in-arms and sisters-in-arms – everyone who gives us the chance to connect and speak openly about these things – all the more remarkable.

The enemy is very cunning and cynical. It’s hard for us to match that. During war, all sorts of things happen on both sides. They deliberately target buildings – I’ve seen a lot. I began this war in 2014 and served, in particular, with the “Black Tulip” unit. I was at the temporarily occupied Donetsk Airport when we were recovering the remains of our fallen comrades there. We were given that opportunity. That’s a separate, long story.

I’ve seen a lot, but I’ll mention Pryluky and Kramatorsk again. I have to talk about this as the father of a young child who already understands what war is. She was born in 2023, during the war. She knows when a shell is flying, and you explain to her what it is when you’re by her side. She knows who Putin is, how to treat him, and she understands that war is somewhere nearby.

I wouldn’t want our children to understand what war is. But they already know, and they won’t forget. And we have no right to let them forget. The mangled bodies of children, the murdered little ones – one year old, two, three, eight, a few weeks, a few months – these are terrible things that are hard to talk about.

That’s why I want these emotions that are overwhelming me today to be channeled by the people who are helping – and will continue to help – the defense forces into donations for your fundraising efforts – the many, many fundraising efforts out there. When people say that the defense forces don’t need anything anymore, just look at how many drones and tanks there are. My friends, this war affects us all.

No matter how many times we ask, “Mr. Serhiy, when will the war end?” I don’t know . I know for certain that we will win this war, but I also know for certain that the war will touch the heart, the soul, and the fate of each of us, of every one of our families.

When we all realize that this war affects us all – even those who, for one reason or another, have ended up abroad – that’s a separate issue. I have my own conclusions about who ended up there and how, but let no one say that they’re helping from there and everything’s great. We need to help here, too, and we need to join the military here, too. And it’s not just about being in the assault units.

Respect for everyone – for the assault troops, for the pilots. But most importantly, let’s channel our emotions and our anger, in particular, into fundraising. The fact that we work and pay taxes – that’s great, that’s good; we’re supporting the state. But we still need to set aside that little bit of money and thank God for the opportunity to help our defense forces today.

The Crimean Bridge: Logistics, Symbolism, and a Land Corridor

Mr. Serhiy, today is indeed the anniversary of the first explosion of that illegal, superfluous, monstrous structure – the Kerch Bridge. Does it actually hold more political and symbolic significance, or is there still military utility to it? Or does its significance not matter, and we just need to finish it off?

It’s hard for me to say right now. There’s a certain pragmatic perspective: is it more about logistics or military-political significance? Both are present. If something is moving across that bridge – if we haven’t destroyed it yet – it means it’s being guarded and defended, and we still need to break through to it. Accordingly, some kind of logistics is passing through that bridge.

In any case, it must be eliminated. It’s an illegal structure, really just a small architectural feature – it must be destroyed. There is current Ukrainian legislation.

Although today we’re focusing more, of course, on the so-called land corridor. A few days ago – over 700 vehicles; today, in a single day – about 700. Can you imagine what 600, 500, or 700 vehicles every day across the entire front line means? A significant portion of this traffic is precisely through the so-called Russian land corridor.

Today, people from Zaporizhzhia asked me about Berdiansk, about these “triangles,” about how a lot of Russian military vehicles are being destroyed there, and how they’re camouflaging their equipment. I said: You know, one fact speaks volumes about security – or whether they’re afraid of our strikes or not. Do you know that so-called “temporarily alive” governor of Zaporizhzhia? The one who reported to Putin that everything there is under control, that you can easily drive through on that “Novososia” highway.

To which the military correspondents replied: “We want to see him behind the wheel of a fuel truck.” He hasn’t gotten behind the wheel of a fuel truck and driven it yet, but he really wanted to. He’ll go up in flames, just like all the others. The smell won’t be very pleasant, because he’s a collaborator. But anyway, I don’t think we’ll see him there. He’ll run away, of course, but let them all die. That’s the most important thing, and we’ll win.