Following the explosion on the 12-mile-long Crimea bridge on Saturday, the Russian military responded with more attacks on the Ukrainian civilian population inside one of the four regions recently annexed by Russia.
The Russians were met by a massive truck explosion on the 12-mile-long Kerch Strait Bridge – also known as the Crimean Bridge – on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people. As daylight approached, the attack’s aftermath could be seen as two lanes of the bridge were submerged in water. The severity of this attack cannot be understated, as the bridge serves as one of Russia’s primary military supply routes in its offensive against Ukraine.
Security footage revealed that Russian security forces searched the semi-truck before its crossing. However, they failed to locate the explosives. This bridge is responsible for connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula and is something that President Vladimir Putin paraded in 2018. Following the incident, videos mocking the Russian president – who celebrated his birthday on Friday – began circulating on social media.
Ukraine did not immediately take responsibility for the attack. As of Sunday, the Russian president formally blamed Ukrainian Special Forces.
Following Saturday’s explosion, the Russian military began targeting the civilian population in Ukraine with rocket attacks, primarily hitting residential structures in the region of Zaporizhzhia. At least 13 civilians were killed, and dozens more were injured, including children. Zaporizhzhia is one of the four territories that Russia recently annexed. However, many Ukrainians remain in the region.
Late last week, Russian rockets killed nearly two dozen civilians seeking to caravan out of the region.
