Russia said one span of the Kerch Bridge collapsed after two maritime drones exploded underneath it Photo: CRIMEA24TV/REUTERS
Russia closed the Kerch Bridge connecting occupied Crimea and the mainland on Monday after an explosion exploded on its sections.
According to Russian authorities on the peninsula, two maritime drones killed a couple and injured a third person as a result of the explosion . Ukrainian forces blew up under the building.
If confirmed as a Ukrainian strike, the pre-dawn raid falls on the anniversary of Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian president and deputy head of the Russian Security Council, promised that Kiev would face «doomsday» if it attacked Crimea.
Andrey Yusov, a representative of the military intelligence of Ukraine, said that Kiev would not comment on any of its strikes, maintaining operational secrecy regarding strikes on Russian targets deep behind enemy lines.
He added: «The peninsula is used by Russia as a major logistical hub for the transfer of forces and assets deep into the territory of Ukraine.
«Of course, any logistical problems are additional difficulties for the occupiers, creating potential advantages for the Ukrainian defense forces.»
From footage posted on social media, it can be seen that sections on both sides of the 19 km bridge built The Kremlin in 2018, two years after the illegal annexation of Crimea, was significantly damaged.
The most significant damage to the damage appears to have affected a section of road leading to the Russian mainland, which twisted and sank to the sea below.
Sergey Aksyonov, Russia-appointed head of Crimea, said the bridge, like a road bridge, and railway, was damaged. was closed due to an «emergency».
The bridge over the Kerch Strait began running trains shortly after 9 a.m. local time, suggesting that Russia would still be able to supply its troops in southern Ukraine.
Vladimir Rogov, Moscow-appointed head of the Zaporozhye region, said that the first strike occurred at 3:04 am local time on Monday morning, and the second at 3:20 am.
«One span collapsed,» he wrote on the messaging app Telegram. adding the second one was broken.
The apparent attack came just nine months after last October's October 8 attack, when a section of the bridge was destroyed by a truck bomb that detonated midway.
It took Russian authorities until February to decide. restore road crossings over the bridge and restore the railway before May.
It was not immediately clear what caused the two reported explosions early Monday morning.
Russian officers inspect damage on the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea to the Russian mainland. Photo: INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK
Sources told Ukrainian Pravda that the Kiev intelligence of the SBU and the naval forces carried out an attack using kamikaze maritime drones.
The Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee also said that the attack was carried out using «unmanned surface vehicles», which was called a «terrorist attack» by Ukraine.
< p>While Kiev did not immediately claim responsibility for the raid, top officials spurred Moscow on.
Ukrainian Presidential Adviser Mykhailo Podolyak tweeted: «Any illegal structures used to deliver Russian weapons of mass murder are bound to be short-lived.»< /p>
Ukraine's security service said the bridge was «asleep again» by sharing a version of the same poem it published after the attack last October.
The traffic closure occurred at the height of the summer tourist season, during which Crimea is a popular destination for Russian holidaymakers looking for a beach holiday.
The mother and father who died in the strike were from the Belgorod region of Russia. , according to its governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. Their 14-year-old daughter is said to be in hospital in stable condition.
Kamikaze Marine Drones
The bridge is the most important logistical link between Russia and the occupied Crimea, carrying troops, tanks and other military equipment for Moscow's troops in southern Ukraine.
Considered a feat of engineering, the longest bridge in Europe was built as a symbol of victory after after Vladimir Putin illegally seized Crimea.
The only other viable link between the Russian mainland and its forces in southern Ukraine is the so-called “land bridge” across the occupied areas of Donetsk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
Relying solely on this route is seen as dangerous as Kiev forces are actively trying to sever communications as part of their ongoing counter-offensive.Mr Medvedev has accused Britain and the US of being involved in the apparent strike as he threatened to kill Ukraine.< /p>
“Terrorists… understand only the language of power. Only personal and inhuman methods. We need to blow up their houses and the houses of their relatives,” he said. “The main thing is to destroy the top leadership of terrorist organizations and the cracks in which these insects hide.”
Throughout the war, Putin’s ally was severely mocked for his caustic attacks on Kremlin opponents.
p>< p>Exactly one year ago, Medvedev vowed that Ukraine would face doomsday if it attacked Crimea.
Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman, said: “We know who is behind this. We know about the cunning of the Kyiv regime. The Kiev regime killed a young family today.”
He added that Putin would hold a special meeting to discuss the Kremlin’s response to the strike on the Crimean bridge.
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