The Kerch Bridge has been broken since Saturday morning. Russia reports an accident. But the big question is whether the Ukrainians attacked them.
An old picture of the intact Kerch Bridge.
The Kerch Bridge is the main link between mainland Russia and the occupied Crimean Peninsula. It has been suspended since Saturday morning. At 6 a.m. there were first reports of an explosion. An adviser to the “president” of the area explained, a fuel depot caught fire, but there is no structural damage. Nevertheless, the bridge was so badly damaged that traffic was stopped. It was said that ferries were being prepared.
Central supply route
However, the images that can be seen on social networks suggest that the bridge will remain impassable for a long time. A roughly 100-meter-long section of a lane on the highway fell into the water. Next to it, a train is burning on the parallel railway line. This one looks like a freight train that may have loaded fuel.
— Anastasiia Lapatina (@lapatina_) October 8, 2022
Not only on the Twitter space “Mriya Report” are experts and those who consider themselves to be speculating that the destruction is the result of a Ukrainian attack. Kyiv sees the 19-kilometer bridge as a legitimate military target, as it plays a central role in supplying the Russian front, especially in southern Ukraine. If the Ukrainians managed to strike against this target, it would be a huge prestige success, especially on the day after Vladimir Putin’s 70th birthday.
The question, however, is how the Ukrainians would have managed this. They do not have cruise missiles of sufficient range to engage a target that far behind the enemy. Since it looks as if the concrete element of the lane was completely separated and sunk, there are also speculations about a targeted act of sabotage. However, this would not explain why the freight train burned next to it.
Mysterious attack in August
So far, there has been no statement from Kyiv on the explosion. If it was actually an attack, it would not be the first on the peninsula. In August, the Ukrainians caused a stir with an attack on the Saki airbase there, which they only claimed responsibility for a month later. There was also speculation at the time as to whether they had developed a new type of rocket. Since then, there have been no definitive findings.