Explosion on the Crimean Bridge: what we know so far
The explosion on the Crimean Bridge occurred at about 6:40 today, October 8. A truck that was driving along the motorway part of the bridge. At the time a freight train was driving along the railway bridge. Seven of its tanks caught fire in the explosion. As a result, two sections of the road bridge collapsed. More than a kilometer of the railway track was damaged by fire. This version of events was confirmed by the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee.
Russian reactions to the explosion
The Investigative Committee of Russia also confirmed this version of events. A criminal case was opened to investigate the explosion itself and the ensuing destruction. This was reported in the telegram channel of the department. It’s yet unknown what article of the Criminal Code is used for this case. But at least three victims are confirmed. They were the passengers of a passenger car next to the truck.
Immediately after the explosion, the leadership of Crimea completely blocked traffic on the bridge. You can no longer buy tickets for trains and buses to and from Crimea. Moreover, the ferries at the crossing of the Kerch Strait will only start working tomorrow.
The inhabitants of the peninsula were alarmed by the news. Large queues began to form at gas stations and shops. However, the adviser to the head of Crimea noted that there was no need to panic: Crimea is provided with a supply of fuel and food.
The President of the Russian Federation instructed to create a government commission and discover the causes of the explosion. Members will include the Minister of Transport, the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the leaders of Krasnodar and Crimea, employees of the Russian National Guard, the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Even now, some representatives of the commission are already working at the site of the explosion. “Forecasts on the timing of the restoration of the Crimean Bridge are not yet available,” Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukrainian reactions to the explosion
The immediate culprit of the explosion is unknown. And no one took responsibility for what happened. However, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, made the following comment on his Twitter shortly after the event: “Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled.”
Ukrainian Ministry of Defense also spoke out: «The guided missile cruiser Moskva and the Kerch Bridge – two notorious symbols of russian power in Ukrainian Crimea – have gone down. What’s next in line, russkies?»
What the situation could mean for the Ukrainian-Russian conflict
The explosion itself, apparently, was very well planned. Military expert, retired general, combat engineer Mick Ryan analyzed the situation online: “First dropping a bridge span like this would take a lot of ‘bang’ (explosives) and good demolition design. As a sapper, we plan these kind of things all the time. The hardest bridges to drop are reinforced concrete like this”.
According to Ryan, the explosion of the Crimean Bridge is a serious problem for Russia. Now it is still possible to supply the peninsula with food and resources. But only by waterways and through the southern Ukrainian territories controlled by Russia. But if the Ukrainian army manages to take Melitopol, the whole of Crimea will be in severe jeopardy.
Recall that the 19-kilometer Crimean Bridge was opened in 2018. It cost $3.7 billion to build.
