Kerch Bridge explosion
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)An explosion that damaged the Crimean Bridge will “likely have a significant impact” on Russia’s ability to “sustain its forces in southern Ukraine”, intelligence chiefs have said.
A huge blast on Saturday morning sent part of the 12-mile road and rail Kerch bridge – the main route between Russia and Crimea and a key supply artery for Moscow’s troops – crumbling into the Black Sea.
Russia blamed a truck bomb and said the blast killed three people while setting fire to seven oil tankers.
The Kremlin called it a terror attack and warned "consequences will be imminent" if Ukraine was found to be responsible.
In its latest intelligence briefing, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the incident will have aggravated Vladimir Putin who “personally sponsored and opened the bridge” in 2018.
Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 09 October 2022
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) October 9, 2022
Find out more about the UK government's response: https://t.co/FEGhiU7s8U
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/IuMKDQ1Xt6
The MoD said: “Early on 08 October 2022, an explosion damaged the Kerch Strait Bridge, the road and rail crossing which links Russian-occupied Crimea and the Krasnodar region of Russia.
“Two of the four carriageways of the roadway have collapsed in several places over a length of approximately 250m. It is almost certain that some vehicle transits via the other two carriageways have resumed, but capacity will be seriously degraded.
“The extent of damage to the rail crossing is uncertain, but any serious disruption to its capacity will highly likely have a significant impact on Russia’s already strained ability to sustain its forces in southern Ukraine.”
It adds: “This incident will likely touch President Putin closely; it came hours after his 70th birthday, he personally sponsored and opened the bridge, and its construction contractor was his childhood friend, Arkady Rotenberg.
“In recent months, Putin’s former bodyguard, now commander of the Russian National Guard, Viktor Zolatov, has provided public assurances about the security of the bridge.”
The damage to the bridge triggered scenes of jubilation in Ukraine although Kyiv did not directly claim responsibility.
The head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council Oleksiy Danilov posted it on social media alongside a video of Marilyn Monroe singing "Happy birthday, Mr President".
The £3.2billion structure was built by Mr Putin in 2018 to reinforce his claim to Crimea, seized in 2014.
Yesterday Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote: “Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled.”
