Russia Accuses Ukrainian Sea Drones of Blowing Up Crucial Crimea Bridge

The movement of vehicles on the bridge connecting Russia to Moscow-annexed Crimea, which is a crucial supply route for the Kremlin’s forces in the ongoing war with Ukraine, came to a halt on Monday. This was due to the detonation of one of the bridge’s sections, resulting in the deaths of a married couple and the injury of their daughter.

Rail traffic on the 19-kilometer (12-mile) Kerch Bridge was also temporarily suspended but resumed after approximately six hours.

The strike was carried out using two Ukrainian sea drones, as confirmed by Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee.

Ukrainian officials have not openly claimed responsibility for the attack, following a pattern previously observed in similar incidents. However, Ukrainian Security Service spokesman Artem Degtyarenko stated that his agency would disclose the details of the operation after Ukraine emerges victorious in the war.

This attack marks the second major strike on the bridge, with the first occurring in October when a truck bomb destroyed two of its sections.

A video posted by the Crimea 24 online news channel showed a section of the bridge tilted and hanging, but there was no evidence of any portion falling into the water.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin informed reporters that authorities are conducting a detailed inspection of the damage to determine the duration of the repair process.

The Kerch Bridge serves as a prominent symbol of Moscow’s claim on Crimea and is a vital land link to the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. This $3.6 billion bridge is the longest in Europe and plays a crucial role in facilitating Russia’s military operations in southern Ukraine throughout the nearly 17-month-long war.

Since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has increased its presence in Crimea. There have been sporadic acts of sabotage and attacks on Russian military and other facilities on the peninsula, with Ukraine being blamed by the Kremlin.

This attack on the bridge coincides with Ukrainian forces’ efforts to launch a counteroffensive in various sections of the front line. It also comes just before Russia’s announcement that it is halting a grain export deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, which allowed the export of Ukrainian grain during the war.

Initially, Kyiv did not admit responsibility for the October bombing of the bridge. However, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar recently acknowledged that Ukraine was behind the attack, aiming to disrupt Russian logistics. Moscow condemned the incident as an act of terrorism and vowed to escalate its own attacks on Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, including targeting the Ukrainian power grid during the winter.

On Monday, Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, referred to the Ukrainian government as a “terrorist organization,” advocating for retaliatory measures such as blowing up their houses and those of their relatives.

The attack claimed the lives of a married couple from Russia’s Belgorod region, while their daughter sustained severe injuries.

Russian authorities stated that the attack did not cause damage to the piers but affected the decking in a section of one of the road links. The extent of the damage appeared less severe compared to the October attack, which took months to repair.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s military intelligence department, declined to comment on the incident. However, he acknowledged that the peninsula serves as a major logistical hub for Russian forces and any disruptions would create additional complications for the occupying forces.

The Security Service of Ukraine shared a modified version of a popular lullaby, stating that the bridge has “gone to sleep again.”