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Two people were killed, a girl was seriously injured and traffic was halted for hours after a section of the Crimean rail and road bridge, which connects Russia with occupied Crimea, was damaged. detonation Monday early morning.
According to the Ukrainian news agency RBC, “two explosions were heard on the bridge, as Russian military bloggers reported two attacks.”
Also known as the Kerch Bridge, the structure came under attack amidst the Ukrainian counter-offensive, which began weeks earlier, against Russian forces to reclaim many lost territories. This is the second time the bridge – an important supply route to Moscow – has been targeted. In October 2022, it is temporarily closed after a massive explosion.
What happened?
Citing the gray area in Russia, a Telegram channel of Wagner mercenary groupAl Jazeera reported that the two strikes took place on the bridge at 03:04 AM (5:34 AM IST) and 03:20 AM (5:50 GMT) on Monday.
Shortly after the incident, Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region in western Russia, said in a Telegram statement that two people died and their daughter was injured in the attack. However, he described the incident as just an “emergency” and did not reveal any details.
Subsequently, a video posted online by Crimea 24 news channel showed part of the bridge leaning and overhanging, but there was no indication that its supports had been damaged or that any of its parts had fallen into the water. Traffic resumed later in the day.
Who carried out the attack?
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova categorically blamed Ukraine for masterminding the attack, claiming it involved “direct participation” from the United Kingdom and the United States.
Although Ukraine has not yet taken responsibility for the incident and said it could have been an act of provocation by Moscow, a source in Ukraine’s intelligence service, the SBU, told the BBC the agency attacked with the help of navy special forces. .
What is the importance of the bridge?
Crimea Bridge It is a crucial structure for Russia because it is the only direct link between the country’s transport network and Crimea. It was opened in 2018, four years after Russia annexed Crimea, and is part of the route that supplies the region with fuel, food and other products. The port of Sevastopol is the main historical base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Reuters reported.
The importance of the bridge increased after the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war last year in February. Russian convoys, carrying weapons, vehicles and fuel, often use the route to reach Ukrainian territory, especially the Kherson region in southern Ukraine and some neighboring Zaporizhia province.
A CNN report noted: “If the Russian military’s use of the crossing is impeded, the supply lines for the forces in southern Ukraine will become even more fragile. Russia used the Crimean railways to transport supplies to the forces in Kherson, and many railway stations in all of Ukraine were exposed.” From Crimea and Kherson to long-range Ukrainian missile attacks.
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