Ukraine hits Crimean Bridge with underwater explosives

(Reuters): Ukraine’s security service said June 3 it detonated explosives underwater against the road and rail Crimean Bridge linking Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula, damaging key support pillars.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) stated it used 1,100 kilograms (2,420 pounds) of explosives early Tuesday morning, targeting the bridge’s underwater pillars.

The 19-kilometre (12-mile) structure is a vital supply route for Russian forces operating in Ukraine.

An official Russian outlet reported the bridge was closed for about three hours from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. local time but gave no explanation. It later reopened and resumed normal operation.

“Previously, we hit the Crimean Bridge twice, in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater,” the SBU said, adding the operation had been months in preparation.

Video footage released by the SBU showed an explosion near one of the bridge’s support pillars.

Russian military bloggers claimed the attack was unsuccessful and speculated it was carried out by a Ukrainian sea drone.

The Crimean Bridge, spanning the Kerch Strait, is the sole direct land link between Russia and Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

It comprises separate road and rail sections supported by concrete stilts and steel arches, allowing ship passage between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

The bridge has been strategically important for Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, used to move troops and equipment into southern Ukraine, including the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

On Sunday, Ukraine launched an operation called “Spider’s Web,” deploying drones against Russian nuclear-capable long-range bombers at airfields across Russia.