Kyiv: Ukraine on Wednesday carried out a major underwater attack on the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula to Russia. The blast damaged the underwater support structure of the bridge, which is important for Russia’s military transport.
Ukraine’s security agency, the SBU, said it planned the operation for several months and used over a ton of explosives. This is the third time since 2022 that Ukraine has targeted the 12-mile-long bridge, which Russian President Vladimir Putin opened in 2018.
According to The Guardian report, the attack came just after Ukraine also hit Russian airbases using drones, damaging about one-third of Russia’s long-range missile carriers.
The SBU said the bridge is a legitimate target because Russia uses it to supply weapons and troops. Lt Gen Vasyl Maliuk, who led the mission, said Ukraine would respond strongly to any signs of Russian occupation.
A video released by the agency showed a powerful blast and damage to the bridge. Road traffic was stopped for several hours after the explosion.
At the same time, Russia accused Ukraine of blowing up two railway bridges inside Russia over the weekend. As a result, two trains crashed, killing seven people and injuring over 100, including children. Russia called these acts terrorism.
On the battlefield, a Russian missile attack on Sumy in northeastern Ukraine killed four people and injured 25 others. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack showed that Russia had no interest in ending the war.
Talks between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul, but no major progress was made. Russia rejected Ukraine’s call for a full ceasefire and instead suggested a short pause in fighting in some areas. The two countries did agree on a large prisoner swap and shared their versions of peace plans.
According to a document from Russia, they want Ukraine to remove its troops from four regions that Russia claims to have annexed. The Kremlin spokesperson said the conflict is complex, and people should not expect a quick solution.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials arrived in the United States to ask for more sanctions against Russia and discuss defense support. President Zelenskyy, who will attend the NATO summit later this month, welcomed the invitation and called it an important step. He said being present at the summit shows Ukraine still has strong global support.
