Ukraine strikes strategically: Crimea Bridge critically damaged
The Security Service of Ukraine reported on Tuesday about an attack on the Crimea Bridge, which connects the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula to the Russian Federation. The underwater supports of the structure were damaged. According to the Security Service, the operation took several months.
Kyiv can highlight to its allies another impressive action against the Russian invader. The Security Service of Ukraine announced that on Tuesday, 3rd June, it carried out a successful attack on the Crimea Bridge.
This infrastructure, linking occupied Crimea with the Taman Peninsula in Russia, was severely damaged. The operation lasted several months. It involved the detonation of explosives equivalent to 1,100 kilograms of TNT.
The Security Service reported that the attack on the Crimea Bridge was the third such operation, this time conducted underwater.
"Security Service agents mined the supports of this illegal structure," the announcement said. The explosion took place at 9:44 AM, Greenwich Time, without causing any casualties among the civilian population, as the Ukrainians emphasised.
The head of the Security Service, General Vasyl Maliuk, emphasised that the Crimea Bridge is a legitimate target, because it was used by Russia as a key logistical artery to supply its troops.
The first Ukrainian attack on the bridge occurred on 8th October 2022. An explosion and fire followed, and a section of the roadway on one of the traffic lanes collapsed. After the strike, Russian truck drivers had to wait in line for three to four days to cross the bridge.
The second attack on the bridge happened on 17th July 2023. An explosion occurred, resulting in the deaths of two civilians, and a part of the roadway was taken out of service.
In May, Ukrainian Navy Commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa expressed optimism in an interview with the British magazine "The Observer" about the possibility of destroying the crossing, which is the only land connection between occupied Crimea and the Krasnodar Region in Russia.
Traffic halted
As a result of the attack, the underwater supports of the bridge were severely damaged, placing it in a state of emergency. Vehicle traffic has been halted there, as reported by users of Russian social media.
Vehicle traffic on the Crimea Bridge has been temporarily suspended. Individuals on the bridge and within the control zone are urged to stay calm and comply with the guidance provided by transport security staff, according to the "Crimea Bridge: Operational Information" channel on Telegram.
The "Sevastopol Info" channel on Telegram reported at 3:20 PM Greenwich Time that "the attack on the Crimea Bridge continues." "(Ukrainians) are breaking through the barriers (protecting the bridge from attacks)," cited the Polish Press Agency.
Ukraine on the offensive
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Russian Investigative Committee accused Ukraine of blowing up two bridges in western Russia. The attacks occurred this past weekend, as reported by the Russians.
In the Bryansk region, a road bridge collapsed onto a passenger train travelling below from Klimovo to Moscow. The train was carrying nearly 390 people. At least seven people died, and 69 were injured as a result of this incident.
Meanwhile, in the Zheleznogorsk district of the Kursk region, a railway bridge over the highway collapsed, causing the locomotive to derail. The engineers riding in it were injured.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that in an operation conducted by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) using 117 drones, 34% of Russian strategic bombers were destroyed or damaged.
