Ukrainian Drones Shake Crimea’s Key Connector

The attack on Russia’s premier bridge to Crimea was brought to light by Russian authorities on Monday, who attribute the damage to two Ukrainian drones. The resulting explosions led to two fatalities and a significant disruption of both road and rail services.

Russia’s National Antiterrorism Center revealed that the 12-mile bridge across the Kerch Strait was struck during the early hours of Monday, resulting in severe damage to a section of the road. Russia’s Investigative Committee released a statement attributing the assault to “Ukrainian special services.”

Images from state television demonstrated how the roadway had warped in the aftermath of the explosions, which have been classified as the most substantial since a substantial detonation in October. The timing of the assault coincides with Russia’s announcement to terminate a United Nations and Turkey-mediated agreement permitting Ukraine to export grain from the Black Sea, just a few hours later.

Despite the correlation in timing, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied any connection between the incidents, noting that Russia had indicated intentions to withdraw from the agreement in the previous week.

He further stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received updates on the bridge’s condition from the Federal Security Service’s Alexander Bortnikov, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, and transportation officials. A video conference was slated for Monday to explore repair strategies.

The unfortunate incident resulted in two deaths, while a teenage girl, who was in a vehicle on the bridge during the assault, sustained injuries.

The Ukraine government has not explicitly acknowledged any involvement in the attack. The bridge, which Putin referred to as a “historical mission” for Russia, was completed in 2018, following the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.