KHARKIV: According to Russian authorities, a truck bomb on Saturday resulted in a fire and the collapse of a portion of a bridge connecting Russia with Crimea, a crucial supply route for Moscow’s sputtering military operation in southern Ukraine.After turning 70 the day before, the attack on the bridge dealt Russian President Vladimir Putin a humiliating blow that would prompt him to escalate his campaign against Ukraine.
The truck bomb, according to Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee, set seven fuel-carrying railroad carriages on fire, which led to the “partial collapse of two portions of the bridge.” The committee held off on assigning blame right away.Russia’s military activities in the south are dependent on the Crimean Peninsula, which has significant symbolic value for the country.
Transporting goods to the peninsula would be substantially more difficult if the bridge were rendered inoperable. Ukraine is waging a counteroffensive to retake the territories that Russia annexed north of Crimea early in the invasion and established a land corridor to it along the Sea of Azov.
The bridge features parts for both trains and cars. According to Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee, one of the two links of the automotive bridge collapsed due to the explosion and fire, but the other link remained standing.In May 2018, Russia permitted automobile traffic on the span’s initial section. The following year, the parallel bridge for rail traffic opened.
Moscow’s claims on the Crimea are concretely represented by the $3.6 billion project. Prior to intense combat earlier this year, especially in the area of Mariupol, where Russian forces took more Ukrainian territory on the northern end of the Sea of Azov, this was Russia’s only land connection to the peninsula.A string of explosions at an airport and armaments stockpile in Crimea in August highlighted Russia’s frailty.
