Russian divers will investigate the damage caused to the Crimean Bridge on Sunday. The connection between the Moscow-annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the Russian mainland was damaged on Saturday after a bomb is believed to have gone off in a truck.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnoellin has told news agencies in the country that the divers will start the inspection around 6 a.m. local time. The investigation is expected to be completed by the end of the day. The explosion caused part of the road bridge to collapse, but traffic has now resumed on the undamaged driving deck. Trains on the adjacent railway bridge are also running again.
Russian Crimean Governor Sergei Aksjonov told reporters that “the situation is manageable. It is unpleasant, but not deadly. Of course emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to get revenge.” According to him, the island has fuel for a month and food for more than two months.
It is still unclear who is behind blowing up part of the bridge. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack and says Russia is behind it. The blast is the result of an internal power struggle in Moscow, Kiev said earlier.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered increased security for the important Crimean bridge. The pipelines and installations that supply Crimea with natural gas and electricity must also be monitored more closely. The Russian security service FSB will be responsible for the reinforced security measures.