Ukraine strikes Crimea Bridge, inflicts heavy damage: Report

Barely 48 hours after Ukraine struck several targets in Russia, including key air bases and damaging several strategic bombers, Ukraine's Security Service on Tuesday (June 3) said that it had struck the Crimea Bridge using 1,000-kg underwater explosives.

‘No civilian casualties’

The report further stated that the “first explosive device” was detonated on Tuesday morning, adding that the blast did not cause any civilian casualties. Following the blast, reports in the Russian media indicated that the bridge was briefly closed to traffic but was later reopened. Soon, the local Russian authorities announced that the bridge had been closed again.

A message on the official Telegram channel, which shares updates on the bridge, asked people to stay calm and follow the instructions of the transport security officers.

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Speculation over drone strike

The Russian military is yet to confirm the attack, but Russian military bloggers stated that rather than explosives, an underwater drone had been used to hit a protective barrier.

The Security Service said that the operation was directly supervised and planned by its director, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk. It quoted Malyuk in a Telegram post as saying that the bridge was attacked in 2022 and 2023. Describing the bridge as one of the “illegal Russian facilities”, he said that such structures have no place.

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"Therefore, the Crimean Bridge is an absolutely legitimate target, especially considering that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops,” said Malyuk.