(Scypre.com) – The British government was accused by the Kremlin today of being behind the kamikaze drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s £3 billion bridge connecting Russia to Crimea, resulting in a devastating explosion.
Captivating footage seemingly captures the moment when massive explosions tore through the 12-mile bridge, accompanied by blinding flashes and deafening blasts that could be seen and heard from nearby towns.
Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, leveled accusations against Ukraine, claiming their involvement in the attack, along with the participation of Britain and the US. However, she failed to provide any evidence to support these bold claims.
Unsurprisingly, Putin’s enraged propagandists echoed the Kremlin’s stance, urging Moscow to retaliate by targeting London’s Tower Bridge, labelling it a “legitimate target.”
The tragic incident claimed the lives of a couple, leaving their 14-year-old daughter severely injured. The bridge serves as a crucial supply line for Russian troops engaged in the conflict in Ukraine and holds great symbolic significance as a project personally inaugurated by Putin.
The destructive attack demolished a section of the bridge, leaving behind a scene of twisted metal barriers, debris, and a damaged car, delivering a major blow to Moscow’s military efforts. Senator Andriy Klishas emphasized the pressing need for the “denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine.”
In a social media post, he expressed, “We will consider these tasks accomplished when such actions become impossible for the remnants of the Ukrainian state.”
Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested that Putin should respond to the drone strike by destroying the homes of Ukrainians.
In a passionate statement, Medvedev declared, “History and our own experiences demonstrate that it is impossible to combat terrorists through international sanctions, intimidation, or appeals. They only understand the language of power and completely inhumane methods.”
He further advocated for locating and eliminating their accomplices, dismissing the idea of trials against them, and emphasized the importance of neutralizing the top leadership of the terrorist organizations, regardless of their hiding places.
While Russia promptly blamed Ukraine’s armed forces for the explosions, it initially remained unclear whether the attack was carried out using a missile, a kamikaze sea drone, or a vehicle-based explosion on the bridge, as well as who was ultimately responsible.
Initial Russian suspicions primarily focused on marine drones.
Natalia Humeniuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s southern military command, suggested that the incident on the Crimea Bridge could be a provocation orchestrated by Moscow.
“The creation of such provocations, which the occupying authorities of Crimea promptly report with great fanfare, is a typical method of problem-solving employed by the authorities of Crimea and the aggressor country,” Humeniuk stated during an interview with the national broadcaster Rada.
The strike claimed the lives of Natalya Kulik, 36, and her husband Alexei, 40, who were inside their Hyundai car near one of the blast sites.
Their daughter, Angelina, 14, suffered injuries, a broken nose, and a concussion. Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, shared in a message via the Telegram messaging app, “The girl has been injured. The most tragic aspect is the loss of her parents, her father and mother.”
He added, “No words can assuage the pain caused by this loss.”
The girl is currently receiving intensive care treatment at a hospital in Russia’s Krasnodar region.
Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed governor, indicated that the “emergency” occurred at the 145th pillar of the bridge but did not provide any further details.
The extent of the structural damage to the bridge initially remained uncertain, but rail traffic resumed after approximately six hours of interruption.
The bridge had previously been targeted in an attack in October 2022.
During the latest incident, witnesses reported that one section of the bridge and a support pillar had “collapsed.” Concerned tourists were seen urging a wounded woman in a black car not to move and to wait for assistance.
The explosions occurred at approximately 03:04 and 03:20 local time, though responsibility for the attack was immediately placed on Ukraine by Russia. Ukraine indirectly admitted to the attack several months later.
Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Odesa military administration, shared a photograph on his Telegram account depicting a partially broken bridge section. It was unclear whether this was related to the attack.
Following the October attack, Putin ordered repairs to the bridge and personally drove across it in a Mercedes.
Today’s attack occurred despite Russian authorities actively encouraging people to visit the Black Sea peninsula, despite its location in a war zone.
Traffic congestion worsened immediately after the attack as the bridge became non-operational.
Vladimir Putin was reportedly awakened, and an emergency meeting of Russia’s security council was expected to take place.
Sergey Aksyonov, the Moscow-appointed ruler of Crimea, appealed to residents and visitors of the peninsula to refrain from using the Crimean Bridge due to the ongoing security situation and instead advised them to use alternative land routes through different regions.
George Barros, an analyst at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, noted that if the bridge sustained significant damage, it would significantly impact Russian supply lines.
“If Ukraine manages to degrade or destroy the bridge, Russia will only have one ground supply line left, the coastal highway on the Sea of Azov, to sustain (or evacuate) its tens of thousands of troops in occupied Kherson & Crimea,” Barros commented on Twitter.
The occupying official reported, “Traffic has been halted on the Crimea Bridge. An emergency situation has arisen near the 145th support in the Krasnodar region. Law enforcement agencies and all relevant services are actively engaged. I have spoken with Vitaly Savelyev, the Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation. Measures are being taken to restore normalcy. We remain in close contact with colleagues from the Krasnodar region.”
A senior Russian politician proposed today that Russia should not renew the Black Sea deal that allows for the safe export of Ukrainian grain, citing the attack on the Crimean bridge as justification.
Sergei Mironov, the leader of the A Just Russia party in Russia’s parliament, insisted that Moscow should respond by destroying Ukrainian infrastructure.
“That is what we need to do, instead of discussing a grain deal that benefits Kyiv’s rulers and their Western masters, allowing them to fill their pockets. There can be no grain deal after another terrorist attack,” he expressed via Telegram.
Furthermore, Russia declined to extend the agreement that had permitted Ukraine to export grain from its Black Sea ports over the past year, asserting that the promised liberation of Russia’s own shipments of food and fertilizers had not been fulfilled.
The Russian Foreign Ministry officially notified Ukraine, Turkey, and the United Nations that “without Russia’s participation, the ‘Black Sea Initiative’ will cease functioning from July 18.”
The bridge connects Krasnodar to Crimea over the Kerch Strait, situated between the Black and Azov seas.