For the second time since the Russian war began, the Crimean Bridge was badly damaged. Kremlin chief Putin blames Ukraine and announced retaliation. Car traffic over the bridge to Crimea will remain suspended until mid-September.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened Ukraine with military retaliation. Russia blames Kiev for an attack on the bridge to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which Russia annexed. “Of course there will be an answer from Russia,” said the head of the Kremlin at a meeting with the Russian leadership. The Ministry of Defense is preparing proposals for this, the state news agency Tass quoted the president as saying.
“This is the next act of terrorism by the Kiev regime,” Putin said. He demanded that security measures be strengthened at the bridge from mainland Russia to the Ukrainian peninsula annexed in 2014. It was the second attack on the “strategically important transport object” after October 2022. Russia does not use the bridge for military transport in the war against Ukraine, according to the Kremlin chief.
Car traffic over the strategically important bridge will remain suspended until mid-September. Then traffic will be released in one direction, said Vice Prime Minister Marat Chusnullin. Both directions will be passable again by November 1st.
Remote-controlled boats are said to have triggered the explosion
According to Russian information, unmanned remote-controlled boats detonated explosives on the building on Monday morning. Ukrainian media reports, citing a secret service insider, that drones were used. Part of the roadway for cars sagged as a result of the explosion, as photos show. The foundation of the bridge was not damaged, Chusnullin reported. Putin called this good news.
A Telegram channel linked to the Wagner mercenary force reported two explosions – one at 3:04 a.m. and one at 3:20 a.m. According to Russian authorities, two people were killed in the alleged attack. The dead are said to be a married couple. Her 14-year-old daughter, who was in the car, was injured and taken to a hospital. The family was on their way to vacation, according to Russian media.
Kyiv is keeping a low profile
It is still unclear who is responsible for the explosion. Initially, there was no confirmation from Kiev that it was involved in the incident. There are indications that the Ukrainian domestic secret service SBU could be behind it, says Vassili Golod, ARD correspondent in Kiew.
The SBU denied involvement ARD request not. All information about the operations of the secret service would only be made public after a victory in Ukraine, it said. In a first reaction, the authorities only said: “The bridge has gone to sleep again”. And one… two!”
Kiev media reports that the SBU may have collaborated with the Navy.