Ukrainian security service claims responsibility for October Crimea bridge blast
Ukraine’s security service has claimed responsibility for the first time for an explosion that badly damaged the Kerch Bridge linking the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula with Russia
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Ukraine’s security service claimed responsibility for the first time on Wednesday for an explosion that badly damaged the Kerch Bridge linking the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula with Russia last October.
The explosion, which Russian authorities said was caused by a truck bomb, left three people dead.
Speaking on Ukrainian national television on Wednesday, Ukrainian Security Service head Vasyl Malyuk said his agency was behind the attack.
“There were many different operations, special operations. We’ll be able to speak about some of them publicly and out loud after the victory, we will not talk at all about others,” Malyuk said. “It is one of our actions, namely the destruction of the Crimean bridge on October 8 last year.”
A further attack on the bridge last week, killing a couple and seriously wounding their daughter, left a span of the roadway hanging perilously. The damage initially appeared to be less severe than what was caused by the assault in October, but it highlighted the bridge’s vulnerability. Malyuk made no mention of who was behind the more recent attack.
The bridge connecting Crimea and Russia carries heavy significance for Moscow, both logistically and psychologically, as a key artery for military and civilian supplies and as an assertion of Kremlin control of the peninsula it annexed in 2014.