A bridge connecting the Kherson region in southern Ukraine with Crimea was shelled overnight, the head of the Russian-occupied Kherson region told Moscow on Thursday.

Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram that Ukraine carried out a “barbaric bombardment of civilian installations”, including a bridge near Chonhar (called Chongar in Russian).

The surface of the bridge was damaged but there were no casualties, Saldo said, adding that traffic between Kherson region and Crimea was diverted to a temporarily reserved road.

Russia’s appointed Crimean chief Sergei Aksenov said explosives experts were conducting an assessment to assess the type of ammunition. Saldo said long-range “Storm Shadow” cruise missiles donated by the UK to Ukraine may have been used, without providing further evidence.

There are three automobile border crossings connecting Crimea with the Kherson region.

“The failure of one of them cannot cardinally disrupt the transport logistics of the land transport corridor,” said Oleg Kryuchkov, adviser to the head of Crimea, advising the population to use the other two crossing points near the city of Armyansk.