In a renewed flare-up of hostilities within disputed territories, Russian officials disclosed on Saturday that they intercepted multiple missiles over the strategic bridge linking annexed Crimea to the mainland. This bridge, deemed a pet project by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has often faced targeting given its controversial symbolism of occupation.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Russia-instated Head of Crimea, authored a Telegram post stating that two Ukrainian missiles were downed on Saturday afternoon, leaving the bridge unscathed. Images and footage proliferating through social media illustrate white smoke emanating from the heavily contested bridge, although this has not been independently corroborated. A later update from Aksyonov revealed the interception of yet another Ukrainian missile in the anticipated conflict zone.
"Another enemy missile was shot down over the Kerch Strait. Thank you to our air defense troops for their high professionalism and vigilance!" Aksyonov appreciated his troops in a follow-up Telegram message. Oleg Kryuchkov, who advises the Russian-assigned Head of Crimea, disclosed that special services employed a “smoke screen” strategy, designed to mask inflicted damage.
Russia's defense ministry also declared earlier that their forces had neutralized 20 Ukrainian drones launched at the peninsula in an overnight assault. In response to these attempts, Russia's foreign ministry lambasted Ukraine for what they termed a "terrorist attack".
"The Crimean bridge is an object of purely civilian infrastructure, attacks on which are unacceptable. It has been subjected to such attacks since last autumn, which also led to the death of civilians," deplored Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. “Such barbaric actions cannot be justified and will not go unanswered,” warned Zakharova.
Reports suggest that after brief interruption, the traffic on the Crimean bridge has resumed its normal course, according to the official Telegram account providing updates on the bridge. This bridge is a vital lifeline for Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, facilitating the flow of people and goods into the Ukrainian territories occupied by Moscow in the south and east of the nation.
Also recognized as the Kerch Bridge, it holds sentimental value for Russian President Vladimir Putin and is considered a symbol of the reunification of Crimea with the Russian mainland by the Kremlin. Just last month, a portion of this bridge was annihilated when a fuel tanker caught fire and destroyed a large section of the road.
Facing accusations of sabotage from Ukraine in the aftermath of the explosion, Putin and the Kremlin were quick to hold Kyiv accountable for the incident. Previously, the bridge was hit by two strikes in July, and a Ukrainian security official informed that Kyiv was indeed responsible.
Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), recently asserted that any explosions impacting Russian ships or the Crimean bridge were “an absolutely logical and effective step." Maliuk stated that if the Russians desired such explosions to cease, "they have the only option to do so – to leave the territorial waters of Ukraine and our land."
