Russia has closed the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula to Russia, after an explosion this morning that killed two people. “The attack could very well fit into a scenario of Ukrainians wanting to seal off Crimea,” Brigadier General Han Bouwmeester said.
This morning, Russian Governor Sergei Aksyonov reported on Telegram that an “emergency” had occurred on the bridge. According to the RBC news site, explosions were heard on the bridge connecting Crimea to Russia’s Krasnodar region. Two people are said to have died, parents whose daughter was injured in the attack.
“Kiev hopes to split Russian-occupied part of Ukraine in two with wider ground attack”
A Telegram channel associated with the Wagner Group, according to the Reuters news agency, reports that there have been two attacks on the bridge. Russia’s state news agency TASS first reported that there was damage to both the road and the railway line which also crosses the bridge, but later said another train was crossing the platform.
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Putin’s prestige project
The heavily guarded road and rail link is one of the Kremlin’s most important and prestigious infrastructure projects. Bouwmeester, a brigadier general and professor at the Defense Academy, recalls how it opened with great spectacle in 2018. The bridge is now also used as a logistics line, he says, for example for the supply of ammunition.
Cut off Russia from the Crimea
While details are still scarce, according to Bouwmeester the attack could well fit into a scenario in which the Ukrainians want to isolate the Crimea. With the larger ground attack, Kiev hopes to split the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine in two, thereby also cutting off Crimea. So the bridge will be the last remaining link with Russia.
The 19-kilometre-long Crimean Bridge partially collapsed in October after an explosion that Moscow said was part of an attack by Ukraine. Months later, that country only indirectly admitted that it had something to do with the attack. The speaker of the pro-Russian parliament thinks that the problems on the road will be resolved quickly this time.
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Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
