Banned for military maneuvers?
Russia declares plume of smoke over Crimean bridge
May 24, 2023, 6:09 p.m
First the Kerch Bridge is closed, then smoke rises above it. But there is apparently no Ukrainian attack behind it: Russia is trying to smash any speculation.
According to the authorities, the bridge from the Russian mainland to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Moscow in 2014, has been closed to car traffic due to military exercises. “The Crimean bridge is closed because of the maneuvers carried out in the area,” Moscow’s governor in Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said on his Telegram channel.
Images of heavy clouds of smoke in the area of the bridge had previously fueled speculation about another attack on the object. The Crimean Bridge was badly damaged in an explosives attack last fall.
Attack in October 2022
Because of the attack rumors circulating, Aksjonov called for “only trusting verified sources of information.” As early as midday, the regional road construction authority reported on the reopening of vehicle traffic.
At 19 kilometers, the Crimean Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe. Russia completed it in 2018, four years after annexing the peninsula. Since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, it has also been used to supply the Russian occupying forces in the south of the neighboring country.
A truck explosion in October 2022 damaged both the road and railway bridges, restricting traffic over this route for months. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke of a terrorist attack by Ukraine and threatened retaliatory measures. Subsequently, Russia increased its shelling of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure objects.