As Russia’s war escalates, will Ukraine down the Kerch Bridge in Crimea?

A view across the Kerch Strait shows smoke rising above a fuel depot near the Kerch Bridge, also known as the Crimean Bridge, in the village of Volna in Russia's Krasnodar Krai region as seen from a coastline in Crimea [File: Stringer/Reuters]

Russia’s war with Ukraine started when it seized Crimea in February 2014, and who ends up in possession of Crimea remains one of the biggest sticking points in ending the war.

So far, Ukraine has been unable to take Crimea back by force, and Russia has been unable to defend it effectively as a base of operations.