Governor Sergei Axyonov, appointed by Russia, initially wrote on Telegram about an “emergency situation”. A man and a woman died in their car, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said in a video message. The couple’s daughter was injured and taken to the hospital. According to the information, the victims came from the Russian region of Belgorod.
Although there was talk of an explosion on the bridge on social media, authorities have not provided further information about what exactly happened there that night. Traffic on the bridge was stopped. Axjonow spoke of an incident at the bridge’s 145th pylon.
The Russian channel Telegram Gray Zone, linked to the Wagner mercenary group, reported two attacks on the bridge. Footage posted on the channel shows at least one bridge section damaged. Crimea, annexed by Russia since 2014, has been repeatedly targeted by drone attacks. Ukraine has announced that it will retake its territory as part of a counter-offensive. On Sunday alone, Russia said it had repelled nine Ukrainian drone strikes in Crimea.
Important supply route for Russian military
Prosecution authorities and all responsible departments are on duty, continues Axjonow. Measures would be taken to calm the situation. Axjonow urged residents to remain calm. For security reasons, residents of the region and tourists must choose an alternative land route through the Russian-occupied regions of southern Ukraine.
The 19-kilometer Kerch Bridge is an important supply and supply route for Russian troops in Crimea. In October 2022, the bridge was badly damaged in an explosion, but was later repaired. At the end of May, the Ukrainian secret service for the first time admitted involvement in the explosion.
Explosions on the Crimean Bridge?
According to the RBC Ukraine news agency, there were several explosions on the bridge connecting the Crimean Peninsula to the Krasnodar Territory in Russia. The Russian-appointed governor spoke of an “emergency situation” due to the traffic stop.
The bridge is considered a flagship project: Russian President Vladimir Putin provided some of the funding and personally opened the bridge in 2018, the contractor being his childhood friend Arkadi Rotenberg. The alleged explosions took place just hours after Putin’s 70th birthday on Oct.
Putin threatened to use cluster bombs
Putin said on Russian television late on Sunday that he would use cluster bombs on Ukraine if necessary. “Of course, if they are used against us, we have the right to react accordingly,” Putin said on state television. The US promised Ukraine the largely banned cluster bombs.
According to Putin in the interview, his country has enough reserves. If Ukraine uses cluster bombs, “we reserve the right to take simultaneous actions,” said the Russian president, who launched the full-scale attack on Ukraine a year and a half ago. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had already made a similar statement.