Ukraine is stepping up its attacks against its invader, Russia after three years of playing defence.
Ukraine's Security Service declared on Telegram that it targeted the Crimea bridge with underwater explosives on Tuesday. The SBU added that it had "mined the supports of this illegal facility" with explosives equivalent to 1,100 kg of TNT, which "severely damaged" the bottom level of the supports, “without any civilian casualties”.
SBU head Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, is said to have “personally supervised the operation” that “lasted several months”. Malyuk defiantly declared that “there is no place for any illegal Russian facilities” on Ukrainian territory thus making the bridge “an absolutely legitimate target”.
Russia has not yet commented on the attack but its military bloggers speculated that an underwater drone, rather than explosive, had hit a protective barrier.
For context - the bridge, consisting of a separate roadway and railway, is also known as Kerch Bridge. The flagship project, built by Russia after its invasion and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014, was inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin to great fanfare in 2018.
Also Read: Project Esther: Is Trump following the right-wing playbook to crush pro-Palestinian movement?