During the attack on the Crimean Bridge
Russia threatens “devastating retaliation”
May 3, 2024, 10:08 p.m
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The Crimean Bridge near Kerch plays an important role in the logistics of Russian troops in Ukraine. Moscow expects Ukraine to launch an attack on Putin’s prestige building in the coming days – and is threatening consequences.
Russia has warned of a “devastating retaliatory strike” if Ukraine attacks Crimea or the Crimean Bridge with Western support. “I would like to once again warn Washington, London and Brussels that any aggressive actions against Crimea are not only doomed to failure, but will also be met with a devastating retaliatory strike,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in Moscow said at a press conference in the Russian capital.
In recent days, the Ukrainian armed forces have been observed using several ATACMS missiles against Crimea. “According to the Russian Defense Ministry, all missiles fired were destroyed,” Zakharova said. She expressed the suspicion that the government in Kiev was planning a major attack before or on May 9th. On this day, Russia celebrates the Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II.
Attacks on anti-aircraft systems
The Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that it had intercepted six ATACMS missiles over Crimea. Independent media, however, report attacks on three military bases on the peninsula. The attacks were aimed at combating Russian air defense systems.
The independent internet portal Astra reported that a fire broke out during an attack on an anti-aircraft position near Simferopol. The Dzhankoi airport, where a helicopter regiment and anti-aircraft defense forces are stationed, also came under fire. According to Astra, four soldiers were injured in an attack on a military facility in the Chornomorske district in the northwest of the peninsula. The USA had announced that it would also deliver long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine as part of the new weapons package. In previous deliveries, their range was limited to 165 kilometers.
The Crimean Bridge near Kerch, opened by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin in 2018, connects southern Russia with the peninsula, which was annexed in violation of international law, and is an important supply route for Russian associations in southern Ukraine. At the end of October 2022, an explosion brought traffic on the bridge to a standstill for several months. Attacks with maritime drones and missiles followed later. Kiev has repeatedly emphasized that it wants to liberate the peninsula.