Ukraine responsible for deadly attack on Crimean bridge

July 17, 2023

Ukraine’s military has claimed responsibility for an early morning attack Monday on the bridge connecting the annexed Crimean peninsula to Russia’s mainland that killed two people and left their daughter injured.

A member of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told CNN the attack on Russia’s key supply route was a joint operation with Ukraine’s naval forces.

This is the second time since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine that the 12-mile crossing, also known as the Kerch Bridge, was the target of an attack. The first time was in October when a fuel tanker exploded while crossing to Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

Traffic sat at a standstill for about six hours following the strike, which was carried out by two Ukrainian maritime drones at about 3 a.m., Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee said.

The attack killed two people, identified by Russian media as Alexei and Natalia Kulik, who were traveling to Crimea for summer vacation. The 40-year-old man was a truck driver while his 36-year-old wife was a municipal education worker.

Their 14-year-old daughter was in the car and suffered chest and brain injuries.

While Ukrainian officials have not publicly taken responsibility for the attack, SBU spokesperson Artem Degtyarenko said in a statement that his agency would reveal how the “bang” was organized after claiming victory in the war.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been briefed on the incident.

Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin traveled to Crimea to assess the damage and said the bridge’s supports were not damaged in the blast.

“We know the reasons and those behind this terrorist act,” Peskov said. “This will require further composure and additional measures and work from all of us. No other measures have been discussed at the moment.”