The Kerch Bridge linking Russia to Crimea has been blown up, although some parts of the road are still navigable, according to the Russian authorities.
At least two sections of the bridge connecting Crimea with Russia’s rail and road network collapsed. Three people have died from the blast, the Russian authorities have said.
Ukrainian officials have been threatening to demolish the bridge since it was built in 2018. Russia forcibly annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 under circumstances similar to the threat and illicit annexation of four new regions in Ukraine.
An analysis from the digital forensics group Bellingcat found that three sections of the bridge linking Russia to Crimea had collapsed, limiting traffic on both the road and rail bridge.
Nick Waters wrote on Twitter:
“I’ve been looking at the Kerch Strait bridge explosion and thought I’d make a thread of things I’ve noticed. Firstly: the explosion affected the Ukraine-bound lane of the bridge at approximately 45.300105, 36.513240.”
Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee says a truck bomb caused the partial destruction but stopped short of assigning blame. Russian officials said the truck was registered in the southern region of Russia.
The Kerch Strait Bridge, as it’s also known, spans 12 miles of water, and has served as a key automotive and rail supply line from Russia into Crimea.
Russia hosts at least a dozen military facilities on the peninsula, and Western intelligence authorities claim it remains a vital logistical hub for Russia’s war on mainland Ukraine.
Hours after the bridge explosion, Russia’s defense ministry announced that Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the air force chief, will command Russian troops fighting in Ukraine. The Russia Government has allegedly set up a commission to investigate the explosion.
After the bridge collapse, a top official in the Ukrainian president’s office, Mykhailo Podoloyak, tweeted that Saturday’s events are just “the beginning,” but stopped short of taking credit. Ukrainians on social media posted hundreds of memes celebrating the apparent attack.
