Another attack on Krimbrug, possibly with sea drones: “Two dead and injured” | War Ukraine and Russia

According to Russian media, explosions were heard on the Crimean Bridge just after three o’clock. On a Telegram channel, which according to the Reuters news agency is affiliated with the Wagner Group, there are two attacks on the bridge.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of Belgorod, Russia, said a man and a woman from that region were killed in the incident. Their minor daughter is said to have suffered minor injuries. “We have all seen the video of a damaged car with a number plate from Belgorod,” Gladkov told Telegram.

According to the Russian Ministry of Mobility, there is no damage to the bridge’s pillars, but the roadway is damaged. This can also be seen in the video above. Train traffic was able to return over the Crimean Bridge after a short break. Ferries are temporarily suspended between Crimea and Russia.

According to the Ukrainian public broadcaster, the attack was carried out with an underwater drone. Other media from the country talk about small, unmanned boats and the Russian authorities also say so.

They also point the finger of blame at the Ukrainian special forces and the navy. A source within the Ukrainian security service SBU confirms to the French news agency AFP that the special forces and navy are indeed behind the operation and that sea drones were deployed.

Officially, the Ukrainian navy did not want to comment yet, but a spokesman for the Ukrainian army did blame Russia. The incident could be a provocation from Moscow.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Tom Simoens, a missile attack cannot yet be ruled out. He tells that in HLN LIVE. “Ukraine benefits greatly from the fact that the Crimean bridge is no longer operational,” says the Belgian soldier in the video above.

The reason for this is the logistical importance of the bridge for Russia. “A lot of military traffic has to go through Crimea and to get there it has to go over this bridge, because that is the shortest way to get the troops and supplies to the front,” explains Simoens. He also points to the bridge’s symbolic importance, as it was built soon after Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea.

The 19-kilometre-long Crimean Bridge partially collapsed in October after an explosion that Moscow says was part of an attack by Ukraine. Months later, that country only indirectly admitted to having had something to do with the attack. The bridge is of great importance to Russia because of the supply of Russian troops in Ukraine.

Crimea, a peninsula in the Black Sea, was annexed by Russia in 2014. Despite the tense situation, Crimea, which can only be reached by car or train, remains a popular destination for Russian holidaymakers. Residents and tourists wanting to leave should take an alternative route through the Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine, the Russian governor of Crimea said.