Putin Vows Retaliation Following "Terrorist" Attack on Crimea-Russia Bridge

In a recent development, Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to retaliate against what he called a "terrorist" attack on the bridge connecting Crimea to Russia. While Moscow has accused Ukraine of being responsible for the incident, Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility.

The Kerch bridge, which was opened in 2018, facilitates road and rail travel between Russia and Crimea, a region that was annexed by Russia in 2014 from Ukrainian territory. Russia's transport ministry has stated that the bridge supports were undamaged.

Although investigations are ongoing, unverified reports suggest that explosions were heard early on Monday. Russian authorities have alleged that Ukraine deployed "unmanned surface vessels" (USVs), or water-based drones, to attack the Kerch bridge. However, visual evidence to substantiate these claims has not been presented by the BBC or other sources.

A source within Ukraine's security service has informed BBC Russian that the attack was indeed carried out by Ukraine, utilizing water-based drones. President Putin, during a televised statement, accused Ukraine of launching a "senseless" and "cruel" attack.

While the road on the bridge has sustained damage, the parallel railway line remains unaffected. The bridge serves as a crucial supply route for Russian forces stationed in parts of southern Ukraine.

Marat Khusnullin, Deputy Prime Minister, appearing on television alongside President Putin, has announced that the bridge will be completely repaired by November 1, and road traffic will resume in one direction from September 15.

As a result of Monday's incident, long traffic jams occurred on the remaining road route out of Crimea, and significant train delays were reported on the railway. The ferry crossing parallel to the bridge was also impacted.

Russian officials advised stranded holidaymakers in Crimea to return through areas of southern Ukraine that are under Russian occupation. They assured tourists that curfew hours would be reduced and that the army would ensure a safe passage.

Since the Russian invasion in 2014, commercial flights between Russia and Crimea, a favored vacation spot for Russians, have been suspended.

The governor of Russia's Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, stated that a Russian couple died in the incident, and their 14-year-old daughter was injured.

Unverified photos shared by the spokesperson for Ukraine's military administration in the Odesa region depicted debris on the bridge's road and damaged railings. Defense analyst Stuart Crawford, speaking to the BBC, suggested that drones were likely used in the attack, but due to the lack of information from both sides, the details may remain unclear.

Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for the Russian foreign ministry, accused Ukraine of launching the Kerch bridge attack with the "direct participation" of the UK and the US, but provided no evidence to support these allegations.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that the incident had no connection to Russia's decision to suspend its participation in a deal allowing Ukraine to export grain through the Black Sea.

This latest incident marks the second significant occurrence on the Kerch bridge in the past year. In October 2022, the bridge was partially closed after a massive explosion, but it was fully reopened in February. The exact cause of the explosion remains unclear.

The recent attack comes amid an anticipated counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces, aiming to regain control of territories in southern and eastern Ukraine. According to Ukraine's deputy defense minister Hanna Maliar, their forces have reclaimed 18 square kilometers (7 square miles) of land over the past week, bringing the total area retaken to 210 square kilometers (81 square miles) since the start of the counter-offensive.