Camilla Jessen
Moscow confirms an explosion on the Crimean bridge but claims operations continue as normal.
The Kremlin confirmed Tuesday that an explosion had occurred on the Kerch Bridge linking mainland Russia to occupied Crimea, blaming Ukraine for the attack but insisting there was no operational damage.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed the incident, saying: “It really was an explosion. There was no damage, the bridge continues to function.”
His statement, published by The Kyiv Independent and RIA Novosti, follows a claim by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), which took responsibility for the operation and said the attack targeted the bridge’s underwater support pillars using over a ton of explosive material.
“Key and Most Complex Part” of Bridge Damaged
The Kerch Bridge — also known as the Crimean Bridge — is a critical logistics artery for Russian forces, connecting Russia’s Krasnodar region to the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed illegally in 2014.
Ukrainian Navy spokesman Dmytro Pletenchuk contradicted the Kremlin’s account, asserting the operation damaged the “key and most complex part” of the structure.
He emphasized the scale and precision of the strike, which was coordinated by SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk, following a massive drone attack on Russian strategic air assets just days earlier.
Pletenchuk stopped short of claiming that the bridge had been rendered fully inoperative.
A Strategic Symbol and Recurring Target
This marks the third confirmed Ukrainian attack on the Crimean bridge since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The previous strikes — in October 2022 and July 2023 — caused significant structural damage and temporary shutdowns but failed to fully disable the crossing.
Despite Peskov’s assurances that the bridge is functional, Russian media reported increased security checks and temporary delays on the route.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has also announced the detention of a suspect, described as a “Ukrainian intelligence agent” allegedly involved in constructing the bomb used in the latest attack.
Moscow’s Blame Game, Kyiv’s Persistence
Accusing Kyiv of targeting civilian infrastructure, Peskov framed the explosion as part of a larger pattern of Ukrainian strikes on “infrastructure targets.”
The Kremlin has routinely described such attacks as terrorist acts, even as Ukraine maintains they are legitimate military operations aimed at disrupting Russian supply lines and reclaiming occupied territory.
Meanwhile, analysts note that the latest assault on the Kerch Bridge may have symbolic as well as strategic value.
The bridge, a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project completed in 2018 under President Vladimir Putin’s direct supervision, has become a potent emblem of Russia’s hold over Crimea.