Crimea Bridge exploded. Archyde.com Yonhap News
Amid the explosion on the Russian-occupied Crimean Bridge on the 8th, the Ukrainian government said, “The Crimean Bridge explosion is only the beginning.”
Ukrainian President Mihairol Podolyak, adviser to the President of Ukraine, tweeted on the same day that the explosion of the Crimean Bridge was “started”.
“Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, and everything taken by Russia must be expelled,” he said.
Earlier, at 6 a.m. (12 p.m. Korean time) on the same day, a car loaded with a fuel storage tank at the rear end of the freight train caught fire at the Crimean Bridge, causing a large explosion.
Currently, traffic in both directions of the Crimean Bridge has been suspended, and transport trains crossing the strait have also been suspended.
“It’s too early to talk regarding cause and effect,” Oleg Kriukov, a Russian-appointed aide to the Crimean administration, said on Telegram. “The arched structure made to pass through is undamaged.”
Meanwhile, following Russia occupied Crimea in 2014, the 18km-long Crimean Bridge connecting the peninsula and mainland Russia was opened in 2018.
Crimea Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe, and Russia is said to have spent 250 billion rubles (regarding 5.775 trillion won) to build it.
As a key supply route linking mainland Russia and Crimea, it has great tactical and economic value to Russia.
Ukraine continues to regard Crimea as its territory even following occupying it.
After being invaded by Russia in February of this year, he has repeatedly expressed his intention to destroy the Crimean Bridge.
In response, Russia warned in June that it would bomb the Ukrainian capital Kiiu if the Crimean Bridge was attacked.