Crimean bridge

"The guided missile cruiser Moskva and the Kerch bridge - two notorious symbols of Russian power in Ukrainian Crimea - have gone down," tweeted Ukraine's ...

The road and railway bridges are vital links in Russia's supply chain. But the attacks on the Saky base and the bridge are all part of the same wider effort: to undermine Russia's ability to use Crimea as a launch pad for its war in southern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials are giving little away, happy to apply the same level of ambiguity that followed a mysterious attack on the Russian airbase in Crimea in August. Any number of theories are doing the rounds - from a Ukrainian special forces operation to the work of partisans in Crimea, a missile strike, or even a suicide bomb. Coming on the back of weeks of mostly good news from the battlefront, where Ukrainian forces continue to take back territory seized by Russia back in February and March, the sight of the crippled, burning bridge is a massive additional boost to morale. "The guided missile cruiser Moskva and the Kerch bridge - two notorious symbols of Russian power in Ukrainian Crimea - have gone down,"

Part of the crossing, the sole bridge linking the Crimean Peninsula with Russia, collapsed into the sea.

[are scheduled to gather in Washington](https://meetings.imf.org/en/2022/Annual/Schedule) for annual meetings, which begin on Monday. [in eastern cities like Lyman](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/01/world/europe/lyman-ukraine-russia.html?action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&state=default&module=styln-russia-ukraine&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc), Ukraine is pushing farther into Russian-held territory [in the south](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war.html?action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&state=default&module=styln-russia-ukraine&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc), expanding its campaign as Moscow struggles to [mount a response](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/05/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war.html?action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&state=default&module=styln-russia-ukraine&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc)and [hold the line](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/world/europe/russia-disarray-ukraine.html?action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&state=default&module=styln-russia-ukraine&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc). said the emergency allocation, [which follows other aid previously designated](https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2022/03/09/pr2269-ukraine-imf-executive-board-approves-usd-billion-in-emergency-financing-support-to-ukraine), would help Ukraine with its “large and urgent fiscal and external financing needs.” Putin of Russia to annex the territory along with three other regions in a move that was internationally condemned. Twenty-one people who died during the Russian occupation of the area and had been buried in makeshift graves were identified and reburied in the town’s cemetery, he said. Zaporizhzhia, the largest nuclear plant in Europe, has been under the control of the Russian military since early March. The availability of fuel to power the generators has long been a concern. Putin decide to use a [tactical nuclear weapon](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/03/us/politics/russia-tactical-nuclear-weapons.html?action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&state=default&module=styln-russia-ukraine&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc). Ukrainian officials and some military analysts said the attacks appeared to signal heightened determination by the Russian military to use its advantage in long-range munitions to exact costs for Moscow’s losses. Putin of Russia [illegally annexed](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/30/world/europe/russian-strikes-ukraine.html?action=click&pgtype=LegacyCollection&state=default&module=styln-russia-ukraine&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc)four regions where fighting is raging. Putin of Russia, a pillar of his disputed claim to the Crimean Peninsula since the completion of the twin road spans in 2018. For a century, talks of building a bridge across the strait — which runs between two mountain ranges, creating a fierce wind tunnel — had failed to result in action.

The blast on the bridge occurred hours after explosions rocked the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, sending towering plumes of smoke into the sky and ...

The Association of Russia's tourist agencies estimated that about 50,000 tourists were in Crimea on vacation at the time of the blast. Dmytro Zhyvytskyi, the regional governor, said on Telegram that a 51-year-old civilian man had been killed. Russian missiles damaged more than 40 apartment buildings on Thursday in the Ukrainian-controlled city, which is nevertheless the official capital of a region Moscow moved to illegally annex last week. Irina Mezavtsova, a deputy head of the regional ministry for industrial policies, said there would be no restrictions on sales of consumer products. Sinehubov said Russia had deployed S-300s missiles in the strike. An advisor to Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted: "Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. President" on the right. "And this is just the beginning. The $3.6 billion project is a tangible symbol of Moscow's claims on Crimea and has provided an essential link to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly threatened to strike the bridge and some lauded the attack, but Kyiv stopped short of claiming responsibility. The bridge has train and automobile sections. The Peninsula holds symbolic value for Russia and is key to sustaining its military operations in the south of Ukraine.

A truck loaded with explosives hit the only bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia on Saturday. Russian national anti-terrorist ...

Crimea Bridge is one of Moscow’s most fundamental infrastructure investments in the occupied peninsula. Russian national anti-terrorist committee confirmed that the incident damaged a big part of the bridge. It also set fire to seven fuel tanks on a runaway train on the concurrent rail segment, as per early reports.

The apparent attack sent two of the Kerch Bridge's road spans crashing into the sea and set a nearby railway shipment of fuel tanks ablaze, halting all traffic ...

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A large fire on the only crossing between the occupied Crimean peninsula and Russia was caused by a lorry explosion, Russian officials say.

The bridge is particularly hated by Ukrainians. The crossing is more than 100 miles from Ukrainian-held territory. "Two notorious symbols of Russian power in Ukrainian Crimea have gone down," it tweeted. He added the damage to the bridge would be "promptly restored, since it is not of a serious nature". It is hard to exaggerate the significance, and symbolism, of seeing the bridge on fire. The official Twitter account of the Ukraine government responded to the fire by tweeting: "Sick burn."

In a major blow for Russia, a fuel tank explosion early Saturday caused part of Europe's longest bridge that links Russia to the annexed territory of Crimea ...

Its opening – according to Russia’s official narrative – claimed to mark the physical “reunification” of Crimea with the Russian mainland. “This is a necessary measure in order to deprive them (Russia) of the opportunity to provide reserves and reinforce their troops from Russian territory,” Maj. “Such is the whole essence of the Kiev regime and the Ukrainian state … But they did succeed in damaging the roadbed of the Russian bridge,” Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov said. The source of the explosion remains unclear. No further details on the timing or scope of the commission have been announced.

The explosion risked an escalation in the war, with some Russian lawmakers calling for President Vladimir Putin to declare a 'counterterrorism operation.'

The peninsula is a popular destination for Russian tourists and home to a Russian naval base. The secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, tweeted a video with the Kerch Bridge on fire and Marilyn Monroe singing her “Happy Birthday Mr. Leonid Slutsky, head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian parliament’s lower house, said “consequences will be imminent” if Ukraine was responsible. A Russian tourist association estimated that 50,000 tourists were in Crimea on vacation on Saturday. The 12-mile Kerch Bridge, on a strait that connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, is a tangible symbol of Moscow’s claims on Crimea and an essential link to the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The truck that exploded was owned by a resident of the Krasnodar region in southern Russia. Russian war bloggers responded to the bridge attack with fury, urging Moscow to retaliate by striking Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Two passenger trains departed from the Crimean cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol and headed toward the bridge Saturday evening. “The special operation must be turned into a counterterrorist operation,” he declared. Russian authorities said the man’s home was searched and experts were looking at the truck’s route. Train and automobile traffic over the bridge was temporarily suspended. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly threatened to strike the bridge and some lauded the destruction Saturday, but Kyiv stopped short of claiming responsibility.

An explosion ripped across the Crimean Bridge, a strategic link between mainland Russia and Crimea.

Moscow moves to secure the key connector and repair it as soon as possible after the explosion.

Hours after the bridge explosion, Russia appointed a new commander to lead its troops in Ukraine. It is hard to overstate the political, symbolic and strategic significance of the Crimean bridge. Unverified posts on social media also appeared to show apartment blocks in flames. A Russian national anti-terrorism committee said the damage was caused by a truck bomb blowing up, which caused seven railway carriages to catch fire. Last month, Ukraine claimed responsibility for a series of air strikes on Crimea - including an attack on Russia's Saky military base. The blast killed three people, Russian investigators said.

A blast on the strategic road-and-rail bridge linking Russia and the Crimea peninsula brought down sections of road taking traffic in one direction, ...

In a video message Aksyonov, the Crimea governor, said he wanted to "assure Crimeans that the Republic of Crimea is fully provided with fuel and food. The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said a freight truck had blown up on the bridge's roadway at 6:07 a.m. "We are not cut off from the mainland!" Since the start of the invasion on Feb. The images could not immediately be verified. Don't panic."

Transport capacity on the Kerch Bridge “will be seriously degraded,” UK Defense Ministry says.

Kyiv is now [asking](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/05/ukraine-advances-air-defenses-putin-00060580) for more Western weapons, including air defense systems. [leading](https://www.politico.com/news/2022/10/05/ukraine-advances-air-defenses-putin-00060580) a counteroffensive against Russia and regaining territory and towns held by Moscow. Despite Moscow’s message of business as usual, the U.K.’s Defense Ministry said that transport “capacity will be seriously degraded” on the bridge. “We urgently need more modern air and missile defense systems to save innocent lives. The initial report from Moscow’s inspection of the bridge is due later Sunday. Putin tightened security for the bridge and for energy infrastructure between Russia and Crimea.

On October 8, a fire broke out on the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia and the temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea. A video posted on social media showed ...

On October 8, a fire broke out on the Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Russia and the temporarily occupied Ukrainian Crimea. It is almost certain that some vehicle transits via the other two carriageways have resumed, but capacity will be seriously degraded, the ministry said. "The extent of damage to the rail crossing is uncertain, but any serious disruption to its capacity will highly likely have a significant impact on Russia’s already strained ability to sustain its forces in southern Ukraine," the report said.

Russian divers were expected to begin examining the Crimean Bridge on the morning of October 9 after the vital supply route was damaged a day earlier by an ...

[stood](https://www.idelreal.org/a/32070220.html) at one of the busiest intersections in the city for about half an hour, according to Idel.Realii. There is an urgent need to create a more stable environment for the plant and its staff," Grossi said. A mass burial site was found last month near the eastern city of Izyum after Ukrainian troops took over towns in the Kharkiv region. If convicted on the charge, the staunch opponent of the Kremlin faces up to 20 years in prison. "We will stick to [our Kosovo policy] until the the damage caused to Serbia is so much greater that we would have to accept a different reality," Vucic said. threw stones, bottles, and other objects at police and several dozen activists marching in support of gay rights in the coastal town. "And so today, we have the Mediterranean, which is the largest cemetery in the world. At least 13 people were killed and over 80 injured, including children, as a result of missile strikes in Ukraine's southeastern city of Zaporizhzya on October 9, according to the region's governor, Oleksandr Starukh. [Live Briefing](https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russia-crisis-crosshairs-live-briefing/31668477.html) gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, Russian protests, and the plight of civilians. The Russia-installed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said on Telegram on October 8 that cars were being allowed to travel on one lane of the highway after a full inspection, but truck traffic was not being allowed. "Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge." The bridge has also been used by the Kremlin as a symbol of its control over Crimea.

Russia has blamed a truck bomb - but examination of the footage seems to contradict that.

"Bridges are generally designed to resist downwards loads on the deck and a certain amount of side loading from the wind," he said. The speed with which the truck bomb theory started to spread in Russian circles was suspicious. No-one was hurt." "They are not generally engineered to resist upward loads. "I've seen plenty of large vehicle-borne IEDs [improvised explosive devices] in my time," a former British army explosives expert told me. The footage shows a huge fireball erupting just behind - and to one side - of the truck as it begins to climb an elevated section of the bridge.