At least two dead in a Ukrainian attack on the Crimean bridge, according to Russia

The governor of the Russian region of Belgorod, Viacheslav Gladkov, affirmed on Monday that at least two resident citizens of this province died in the “emergency” that occurred this morning on the Crimean bridge, while a girl was injured.

The governor explained that it is a couple and their daughter, who suffered “moderate” injuries and will be transported immediately to Belgorod when the doctors allow it.

“In recent days we have been sending our children to the camps Crimea”, explained Gladkov, who wanted to reassure the parents by stating that “nothing threatens the lives” of these minors.

Sergei Axiónov, the governor of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, reported on Monday an “emergency” on the Kerch bridge after hearing at least two explosions and subsequently observing damage to the road.

He Russian Ministry of Transport acknowledged that there is “damage to the road in the sections of the Crimean bridge”, which links the occupied peninsula with Russia, but that the pillars are intact, according to the TASS agency.

[Ucrania vuelve a atacar los puentes de Crimea para aislar la península de sus objetivos en Zaporiyia]

“Traffic was suspended on the Crimean bridge: an emergency occurred in the area of ​​the support (pillar) 145 of the Krasnodar Territory,” Axionov said on his Telegram channel.

an unnecessary construction

A spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence (GUR), Andri Yusov, quoted Budanov, the head of the GUR, as saying that “the Crimean bridge is an unnecessary construction“.

Yusov referred to “several kilometer traffic jams” that occurred early Monday at the entrances to the bridge linking Crimea and the territory of the Russian Federation.

“It is evident that any logistical problem means additional problems for the occupants,” Yusov said of the effects the attack could have.

two explosions

Media such as the Telegram channel Astra previously claimed that a section of the bridge has fallen after at least two explosions were heard, according to residents.

The Ukrainian public news agency, Ukrinform, quotes unidentified sources in the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) and in the Ukrainian Navywho would have organized the attack.

“It was hard to get to the bridgebut in the end we succeeded,” an SBU representative was quoted as saying by Ukrinform, noting that the bridge is a legitimate target for Ukraine as it was built on occupied Ukrainian territory.

According to these sources, the attack was carried out last night by marine drones moving across the surface of the water and that they would have damaged the bridge.

Locals heard two explosions around 00:04 and 00:20 GMT, according to their comments on the Russian social network VKontakte.

In October last year, a truck full of explosives exploded on the bridge, considered the longest in Europe with its 19 kilometers and the jewel in the crown of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which was described by Russia as a terrorist attack organized by Ukraine.

Five people died in the attack.