Officials from Ukraine have often threatened to strike the Kerch Bridge, and some have praised the attack, but Kyiv has refrained from claiming credit.
A crucial bridge from Russia to Crimea has reopened to traffic following a partial explosion.
Moscow has stated that three individuals were killed in the explosion that it attributes to a truck bomb.
According to Russian authorities, the bombing was a “terrorist act” carried out by Ukraine.
On Russia’s foreign ministry’s Telegram channel, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated, “The Kiev regime’s response to the destruction of civilian infrastructure exposes its terrorist nature.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched ministers to the bridge and established a government commission to probe the incident’s cause.
Officials from Ukraine have regularly threatened to strike the bridge, and some have praised the attack, but Kyiv has refrained from declaring credit.
According to Viktor Kovalenko, a former Ukrainian soldier who is now a journalist and podcaster, the explosion was likely caused by a “perfect missile hit.”
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian publication Ukrainska Pravda reports that one of its law enforcement sources has asserted that the Ukrainian Security Service was responsible for the explosion on the Crimean Bridge.
Kerch Bridge, also known as the Crimean Bridge, spans 12 miles and serves as a vital supply route for Russia as it continues its assault on Ukraine.
Russia constructed the bridge after annexing Crimea in 2014.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Russian authorities, a bomb ignited seven railcars carrying fuel, resulting in the “partial collapse of two portions of the bridge.”
According to the Russian Investigative Committee, three bodies have been discovered in a car near the exploding truck, where it is thought they were riding.
The committee stated that the bodies of two victims, a man, and a woman, had been recovered from the sea and their identities are being determined.
The speaker of Crimea’s regional parliament, which is backed by Russia, has accused Ukraine, but the Kremlin has not assigned culpability.
Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, described the explosion as “the start.”
He tweeted, “Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything that was stolen must be restored to Ukraine, and everything that is occupied by Russia must be ejected.”
According to Ukrainian lawmaker Kira Rudik, the impact of the bridge attack is “huge.”
She stated, “Crimea has always been a part of Ukraine. And the bridge was never intended to exist.”
It is a tremendous boost to Russia’s reputation.
Ms. Rudik noted that “Russian propaganda” will struggle to explain the strike favorably.
Russia appears to be downplaying the significance of the bridge explosion, which has effectively severed the most direct supply route into southern Ukraine.
The Russian forces in Mykolaiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Zaporizhia can be completely supplied by land and sea channels, according to the defense ministry.
After the explosion, the train and road sections of the bridge were closed to traffic.
According to Sergei Aksyonov, the head of the regional government in Crimea established by Russia, the bridge has now reopened to traffic.
The passage of vehicles via the Crimean Bridge has commenced, he said in a statement. Currently, traffic is available to automobiles and buses with a thorough inspection procedure.
“We advise truck drivers to incorporate the Kerch ferry crossing into their route planning. After two hours, the Kerch-2 boat begins crossing the strait.”
It has not been reported that the bridge is now open to rail traffic.
The attack occurs one day after Vladimir Putin’s 70th birthday.
