Openly feared by the Russian authorities for several months, the scenario of an attack on the Crimean bridge seemed to be confirmed on Saturday, October 8, after a powerful explosion severely damaged this building symbol of the annexation of the peninsula and axis strategic for Russian military operations in Ukraine.
Moscow was also unusually quick to name the facts. In the morning, a press release from the National Anti-Terrorism Committee referred to a “truck bomb” whose explosion, which occurred at 6:07 a.m., caused two asphalt tracks to collapse and caused the fire of seven tank cars passing on the railway part of the bridge, slightly overhanging.
The countless videos showing the event, filmed from the roadway or even from the city of Kerch, seem consistent with this story. The fire lasted several hours before being brought under control. CCTV footage even shows the precise moment of the truck explosion.
Vladimir Konstantinov, the head of the Crimean Assembly – the regional parliament installed by Russia – denounced an action perpetrated by “Ukrainian vandals”. For the time being, other Russian officials were more cautious about this allocation. The reaction of an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky in kyiv, however, seemed to give substance to these accusations.
“Crimea, the bridge. It’s the beginningwrote Mikhaïlo Podoliak on Twitter. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, and the Russian occupation must be ended. » The head of the Ukrainian Security Council, Oleksi Danilov, published for his part one of the videos of the fire of the tanks accompanied by the song Happy Birthday Mister President by Marilyn Monroe, a reference to the seventieth birthday of Vladimir Putin, celebrated the day before, October 7.
Putin’s masterpiece
According to the Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee, two road lanes are damaged, but the arch of the bridge is not affected. The images taken after the explosion clearly show two tracks completely collapsed in the water, while two others are more slightly damaged. Road and rail traffic was interrupted.
For the President of the Crimean Assembly, Mr Konstantinov, “the damage is not heavy” and will be “effectively repaired”. These assurances were not enough to reassure the Crimeans: on Saturday morning, endless queues were forming near the petrol stations on the peninsula. Some of the barges that previously made the slower and more expensive connection have already been put back into service. A rationing of basic necessities was also announced on the annexed peninsula in 2014.
You have 43.69% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.