On Monday (July 17), two people lost their lives after an attack on the Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia’s Krasnodar region to the Crimean Peninsula.
As per reports, Moscow has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the incident, with allegations of US and UK involvement. While speaking about the matter to CNN, a source conceded that the attack was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s naval forces.
Meanwhile, Russia’s transport ministry has informed that the bridge’s supports were not damaged. Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Russia’s Western Belgorod region, confirmed that the parents of a young girl, had tragically died in the incident.
Traffic has been stopped on the Crimean Bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula to the Krasnodar region of Russia due to an 'emergency event' during the early hours of July 17, the Russian-installed head of Crimea announced. At least two explosions were reported. pic.twitter.com/zga3geHLWk
— The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) July 17, 2023
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, reported that President Vladimir Putin had been briefed on the attack. He emphasised that the incident had no connection to Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in a United Nations-brokered agreement allowing Ukraine to ship grain through the Black Sea.
Sergey Aksyonov, the head of the Russian administration in Crimea, released a statement on Telegram informing the public about the suspension of traffic on the Crimean bridge due to an emergency at the 145th support area on the Russian side.
“Measures are being taken to restore the situation. I ask residents and guests of the peninsula to refrain from travelling through the Crimean bridge and, for security reasons, choose an alternative land route through new regions,” he said in a Telegram message.
Civilians who died as a result of #Ukranian attack on #CrimeaBridge
— Arthur Morgan (@ArthurM40330824) July 17, 2023
40-year-old Aleksey K. The man worked as a truck driver. His wife, 36-year-old Natalya, also died.
Their daughter is now in the Temryuk hospital, but they plan to transport her to Krasnodar in the near future. pic.twitter.com/RzNDOROAnT
This marks the second major incident on the Kerch bridge within the past year. In October 2022, a significant explosion prompted a partial closure of the bridge, which was subsequently fully reopened in February 2023. The bridge serves as a crucial supply route.
The bridge, built on the directives of Russian President Vladimir Putin and opened in 2018, served as a vital transportation connection for transferring military supplies to Russian forces serving in Ukraine, notably in the south. The longest bridge in Europe spans the 19-kilometer Kerch Strait between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The $3.6 billion project is a concrete reminder of Moscow’s claims on Crimea, as well as an important link to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Despite the war in Ukraine, Russia insisted the bridge was safe and threatened Kyiv with retaliation if it was targeted.
