Russia alleges truck bomb led to explosion on key bridge to Crimea

The attack on the bridge linking Russia and Crimea comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 70.

Pic Credit: Twitter

Kharkiv: Russian authorities said that a truck bomb on Saturday caused a fire and the collapse of a section of a bridge linking Russia-annexed Crimea with Russia - a key supply artery for Moscow's faltering war effort in southern Ukraine.

The attack on the bridge comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin turned 70, dealing him a humiliating blow that could lead him to up the ante in his war on Ukraine.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that the truck bomb caused seven railway cars carrying fuel to catch fire, resulting in a "partial collapse of two sections of the bridge."

 Explosion on the #Kerch bridge which connects Russia to Crimea. Part of structure has collapsed. pic.twitter.com/wOntlXUvUh — Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) October 8, 2022

The committee didn't immediately apportion blame.

The Crimean Peninsula holds symbolic value for Russia and is key to sustaining its military operations in the south. If the bridge is made inoperable, it would make it significantly more challenging to ferry supplies to the peninsula.

While Russia seized the areas north of Crimea early during the invasion and built a land corridor to it along the Sea of Azov, Ukraine is pressing a counteroffensive to reclaim them.