According to CCTV News, on June 3 local time, the Ukrainian National Security Bureau announced that it carried out a special operation to attack the Crimea Bridge from underwater. This incident has attracted global attention, and the tension in Russia and Ukraine has once again escalated.
The Crimea Bridge spans the Kerch Strait and is 19 kilometers long, connecting the Crimean Peninsula and the Krasnodar region of Russia. It is not only the largest and most expensive dual-purpose highway and railway bridge built by Russia, but also a key supply line for Russian military personnel, military equipment and logistics in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. For Russia, the bridge is highly symbolic and is a symbol of its control over the Crimean Peninsula.
The road traffic on the Crimea Bridge has been closed (data photo)
The Ukrainian National Security Bureau declared that the operation was supervised and carried out by Director Maliuk, and Ukrainian agents made preparations for blasting the bridge piers for several months. At 4:44 am on the 3rd, the first explosive device was detonated, and 1,100 kg of TNT equivalent explosive seriously damaged the bottom of the bridge's underwater support structure. Ukraine emphasized that the operation has been planned for several months and has caused no civilian casualties, and regarded this as a powerful counterattack against the forces occupying its territorial forces, demonstrating its determination to resist.
The Russian Federal Security Bureau announced on the 3rd that a Ukrainian agent suspected of creating bombs and carrying out terrorist attacks was arrested in Crimea, and the case has been filed criminally as treason. In addition, at about 6 a.m. that day, Ukrainian armed forces attacked the Crimea Bridge with a drone. The drone was shot down and the wreckage fell on the driving lane. Russia said that the bridge structure is intact and the explosion has not affected the railway bridge. The railway bridge still maintains basic transportation and the highway bridge resumes traffic after a brief closure.
Putin (data photo)
The attack on the Crimea Bridge occurred shortly after the second round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine broke down. On June 2, Russia and Ukraine held negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey. However, there were huge differences between the two sides on core issues such as ceasefire conditions and territorial sovereignty. The conditions for the armistice issued by Russia were not accepted by Kiev, and at the same time, it rejected Ukraine's request for a "30-day ceasefire" was filed. In addition, Putin's refusal to directly participate in the meeting called by Zelensky, Trump and Erdogan has angered the Ukrainian side.
Not only that, before and after the negotiations, Russia launched a "decapitation" operation against Ukraine, destroying multiple Ukrainian commands on the front line, and launching missile and drone attacks, causing major casualties to the Ukrainian army. The interweaving of new and old hatreds prompted Ukraine to retaliate. For Ukraine, attacking the Crimea Bridge can not only weaken the Russian army's logistics supply and increase negotiation chips, but also show allies' determination to fight and seek more military assistance.
In fact, this is not the first time the Crimea Bridge has been attacked. On October 8, 2022, a truck exploded on the bridge's road bridge, causing the freight train oil tank on the parallel railway bridge to be ignited, and some sections of the road bridge were damaged and collapsed. On July 17, 2023, the bridge was attacked by an unmanned boat in Ukraine, causing railway transportation to be interrupted and two people died. This is the third time Ukraine has launched an attack on the bridge, highlighting its importance to this strategic goal.
Putin (data photo)
After the incident, the United States, Britain and the European Union responded subtly. German Chancellor Mertz had previously stated that Germany should provide Ukraine with the Taurus cruise missile to destroy the Crimea Bridge, but after the incident, both Germany and the EU remained silent. The United States made it clear that the destruction of Russian strategic bombers had nothing to do with the United States and it did not provide relevant intelligence support for Kiev. However, Russia is obviously skeptical about the US and Europe's statements.
Russia responded quickly and toughly. In addition to the rapid blockade of the bridge, the resumption of traffic and the arrest of agents, it also emphasized that retaliation is inevitable. Russia claims to destroy relevant targets, and the outside world is concerned about whether Putin will use tactical nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine, which adds more uncertainty to the regional situation.
Russian military experts pointed out that although Ukraine claimed that the bridge was seriously damaged, the bridge was designed with full consideration of wartime safety and its anti-strike capability was far beyond ordinary civilian facilities, and a small number of directional blasts were difficult to completely paralyze it. However, the attack still had an impact on Russia's psychological and strategic levels, highlighting its internal security risks.
At present, the situation in Russia and Ukraine is becoming increasingly tense. Ukraine is facing pressure of Russian retaliation and needs to consider how to deal with it; Russia needs to strengthen internal security precautions, respond to external military threats, and at the same time stabilize domestic people's sentiment. The international community also needs to pay close attention to the development of the situation, avoid further escalation of conflicts, and actively promote peaceful negotiations to resolve disputes. In the future, the direction of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict will not only depend on the military actions of both sides, but also affected by international political games and diplomatic mediation from all parties. The situation is full of variables and deserves continuous attention.
