Ukraine Hits Russia's Crimea Bridge Using 1,100 Kilograms Of Explosives

Ukraine's security service has claimed underwater explosion that damaged Russia's crucial bridge to Crimea. On Tuesday, the SBU announced it used 1,100 kilograms of explosives to target the road and rail bridge early in the morning. The blast reportedly hit the underwater pillars of the 19-kilometre Crimea Bridge over the Kerch Strait, a vital link between Russia and Crimea.

The SBU stated, "Previously, we hit the Crimean Bridge twice, in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater," highlighting that the operation had been planned for several months. Footage released by the SBU showed an explosion near one of the bridge's support columns. Reuters confirmed the location using visual elements matched against satellite images but couldn't verify when it was recorded.

Bridge Operations Suspended

The official Russian outlet responsible for providing updates on the bridge reported its operation was suspended from 4 am to 7 am local time. No official reason was given for this three-hour closure, although it confirmed that the bridge had reopened and was functioning normally afterward.

The Crimea Bridge has been a critical supply line for Russian troops since their full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Russian forces initially crossed into Crimea using this bridge before advancing into southern Ukraine's Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Significance of Crimea Bridge

This bridge stands as one of President Vladimir Putin's flagship projects. It consists of parallel road and rail sections supported by concrete stilts and iconic steel arches at its navigational span between the Black Sea and Azov Sea.

Despite claims by SBU about damage to the structure, Russian military bloggers suggested that the attempt might have failed. They speculated that a sea drone could have been used in this operation.

Recent Ukrainian Operations

This incident follows another Ukrainian operation on Sunday when drones targeted Russian long-range bomber planes at airfields across Russia. That attack was reportedly codenamed "Spider's Web."