Ukraine again attacks the Crimean bridge, a symbol of the Russian occupation

BarcelonaTwo days after launching the largest and deepest attack against Russian strategic aviation In a daring covert operation, Ukraine has once again hit Russia where it hurts most. In this case, the bridge that connects the Crimean Peninsula with the Taman Peninsula in Russia, a symbol of both the Kremlin's power and the illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory that took place in 2014. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported this Tuesday that Kertx is the third attack on this infrastructure since the start of the war. Following the attack, Moscow was forced to close it for a few hours. But by evening, traffic had returned to normal.

In a Telegram post, the SBU explained that its agents placed explosives on the underwater supports, in another operation that had been planned for months. The first device was detonated at 4:44 a.m. local time. The explosive charges had a power equivalent to 1,100 kilos of TNT. In the two previous attacks, in October 2022 and July 2023, the attackers had failed to completely disrupt traffic. Shortly after the first explosion on Tuesday, a naval drone attacked the bridge again. However, the damage was minor.

In any case, the sabotage is another statement of Kiev's resistance and determination against Moscow. The bridge was built by the Russian Federation after the first invasion. It is, in fact, a personal obsession of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who even drove a truck to inaugurate it. It was the physical and visible symbol of the Russian victory in Crimea, a way of making it clear that that land, according to the Kremlin's narrative, was now Russian forever. But history, and the war, are not over.

From a strategic point of view, moreover, the bridge is vital. It is through this route that Russia delivers troops, weapons, and supplies to southern Ukraine, especially to the Kherson region, one of the hottest theaters of the conflict. Without this corridor, Russian military logistics could become very complicated. That's why Ukraine has made this infrastructure a recurring target: in 2022, it detonated a truck bomb, and in 2023, it used a naval drone.

In addition to the aforementioned surprising drone strike against strategic aviation, the attack on the Kertz bridge follows other similar incidents in Russia. Two bridges collapsed Saturday night in the border regions with Ukraine, leaving seven dead and dozens injured. Kiev called these acts "false flag" operations.