| Part of theCrimea attacks during theRusso-Ukrainian war | |
 | |
| Date | 17 July 2023 |
|---|---|
| Time | 3:04 a.m. 3:20 a.m. (UTC+03:00) |
| Location | Crimean Bridge |
| Coordinates | 45°14′44″N36°35′18″E / 45.24562°N 36.58829°E /45.24562; 36.58829 |
| Perpetrator | Ukraine |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Non-fatal injuries | 1 |
2023 Crimean Bridge explosion was an event during theRusso-Ukrainian war, on 17 July 2023, at approximately 3:04 a.m. and 3:20 a.m.EEST, when theUkrainian Navy attacked theCrimean Bridge,[1] with twosuicide sea drones, damaging a span of the road bridge.[2] The explosions killed two civilians and injured one.[3][2] Ukraine later formally admitted to launching the attack.[4]
Grey Zone, a pro-Wagner GroupTelegram channel, said that explosions were heard at approximately 3:04 a.m. and 3:20 a.m. local time.[5] Russian-installed governor of Crimea,Sergey Aksyonov, stated that an "emergency" occurred near the 145th support on the Russia side of the bridge.[6]
The bridge was damaged.[7] According to theBBC, the road surface was damaged, but the supports remained intact.[6] FDD's Long War Journal says "two of the bridge’s four lanes are totally unusable. The adjacent span for the other two lanes was knocked loose but remains on the pier."[8]
A source close toUkrainian intelligence services stated toMeduza that one of the pillars was damaged. The source said that the damaged pillar was the 145th pillar, on the Ukrainian side of theUkraine–Russia international border.[2]
Subsequent assessments revealed that the span had ruptured, with repairs estimating to last until November.[9] Nevertheless, the bridge reopened to traffic the next day, albeit with only one lane open.[10] The bridge was subsequently closed to both road and rail traffic only a few days later, following an attack on a Russian ammunition dump in Crimea on 22 July.[11] The bridge was fully reopened on 14 October.[12]
Married couple Alexey and Natalia Kulik from Belgorod were killed, and their 14-year-old daughter Angelina was injured.[13][14] On July 24, Angelina was discharged from the hospital.
The attack was reportedly conducted by Ukrainian forces usingSea Baby[15][16]marine drones and planned by theSecurity Service of Ukraine (SBU) and theUkrainian Navy. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukrainian Minister for Digital Transformation confirmed that naval drones had been used.[17] SBU spokesmanArtem Dekhtyarenko [uk] said that further information on the attack would be revealed at the end of the war.[18] However, immediately after the attack, Ukrainian Army spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk denied Ukrainian responsibility.[19]
Russia's Anti-Terrorist Committee had opened a criminal investigation on the incident.[20]
On 21 July, PresidentZelenskyy said at theAspen Security Forum about the Crimean Bridge: “This is the route used to feed the war with ammunition and this is being done on a daily basis. And it militarizes the Crimean peninsula…For us, this is understandably an enemy facility built outside international laws and all applicable norms. So, understandably, this is a target for us. And a target that is bringing war, not peace, has to be neutralized.”[21]
On 22 July, Ukrainian Defence Minister,Oleksii Reznikov acknowledged, in an interview withCNN, that the Crimea Bridge is a valid target. Asked whether Ukraine would seek to disable the bridge he replied: “It’s normal tactics to ruin the logistic lines of your enemy to stop the options to get more ammunition, to get more fuel, to get more food, etcetera. That’s why we will use these tactics against them.”[22]
On 3 August, Ukraine formally admitted to launching the attack, with an official saying that it was proof that the country was more than capable of penetrating Russia's defences.[4]
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According to reports, emergency services arrived on the scene, including Minister of TransportVitaly Savelyev and Deputy Chairman of theCouncil of Ministers of Crimea Igor Mikhailichenko,[23] and a crisis centre was formed.[5]
Later that day, Russian PresidentVladimir Putin withdrew from a deal that allowed Ukraine toexport grain across the Black Sea despite a wartime blockade.[24]
On the following day, 18 July, Russian forces hit southern Ukraine with airstrikes. Russia's Defense Ministry said that the strikes on Ukrainian port cities ofOdesa andMykolaiv were in retaliation for the Crimean Bridge explosion.[25] Ukraine said that Russia was attacking civilian infrastructure linked to grain exports.[26]
On 25 March 2024, Lt. Gen.Vasyl Maliuk, head of the SBU, said that Russia doesn't use the Kerch Bridge for munitions anymore due to repeated Ukrainian attacks. He said: “Before our successful strikes [on the bridge], daily traffic ranged from 42 to 46 trains carrying weapons and ammunition ... now there are only four to five per day. Four are passenger trains and one carries general goods.” He said that Ukraine still intends to destroy the bridge.[27]
The UK Ministry of Defence believe the bridge has become a 'security burden' to Russia, tying down air defence systems and crews who would otherwise be deployed elsewhere.[28]
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