2023-07-18 08:12:07
The explosions rocked the Kerch Bridge, Vladimir Putin’s pet project and the only direct link between Crimea and Russia, at around 3 a.m. The images suggest that a section of the bridge near pillar 145 was ripped off by the blasts. Car traffic was stopped, with Russian authorities urging people to travel through the annexed regions of Ukraine. However, the rail connection was quickly re-established.
Russia has denied that any of the piers were damaged, which, if true, would make restoration of the bridge much easier. Even so, a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence revealed to a Russian media in exile “Medusa” that one of the pillars was indeed damaged. He also stressed that Ukraine hit the bridge precisely where the Ukraine-Russia maritime border is, which means it carried out the attack on its internationally recognized territory.
Ukraine has not formally admitted its involvement in the attack, although Ukrainian Security Service sources suggested in the media that marine drones were used in the attack. The “Medusa” source pointed out that the Russian Army in the region does not have special equipment to detect drones before they approach the target when it is impossible to do anything to stop them.
The Russian government previously assured that the bridge was well protected against any attack, after an explosion first damaged it on October 8 last year. Air defenses, radar deflectors, and even specially trained dolphins were supposed to prevent it from being hit from the air or sea.
A lawful goal
Ukraine’s military intelligence quoted its chief, Kyrylo Budanov, as saying the bridge was “a superfluous structure.” Adviser to the Presidential Office of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak wrote that “any illegal construction used to deliver Russian tools of mass murder is short-lived,” referring to the bridge’s key role in supplying the Russian Army with ammunition and military equipment. in Ukraine.
Russia, whose invasion killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians, has opened an investigation into what it called “a terrorist act.” Two people were reported dead, a couple from the Belgorod region, who were crossing the bridge in their car. His daughter, a minor, would also have been injured. The couple were to go on vacation to Crimea, as thousands of Russians do despite its proximity to the war zone and warnings from Ukraine about the illegality of their entry into the occupied peninsula.
Grain Deal Retaliation
In response to this attack, the Kremlin said it would not agree to extend the UN-backed agreement that allowed Ukraine to export some 33 million tons of grain from various ports to Africa, Europe and Asia. Russia has also announced the suspension of security guarantees for ships carrying grain under the initiative.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, said the decision was made “for not fulfilling the part of the agreement that concerns Russia.” Moscow previously demanded to lift some restrictions against its agricultural export infrastructure, introduced in reaction to its invasion of Ukraine, while Kyiv claimed the deal was being carried out in full.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, declared yesterday that he “deeply regrets” the decision and warned that hundreds of millions of people around the world “would pay the price”. He stressed that the deal had helped reduce food prices by more than 23% since March last year, and warned that “hundreds of millions of people face hunger” now. He sent a letter to Putin with a new proposal to keep the agreement alive.
Russia’s withdrawal means that a pact between the UN and Moscow that facilitated Russia’s grain and fertilizer exports was also ended. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said he was sure that “Putin wants this humanitarian corridor to continue working” and announced a phone call with the Russian president.
Kyiv goes ahead with the deal
Meanwhile, Ukraine is ready to continue the “grain deal” without Russia and will send the appropriate signals to the UN and Turkey, Volodimir Zelensky stressed yesterday. He recalled that the Grain Agreement consisted of two agreements, one between Ukraine, Turkey and the UN, and the other between Russia, Turkey and the UN.
“Therefore, when Russia says that it is in breach of its agreements with UN Secretary General Guterres and President Erdogan, it is not in breach of any agreement with us. We did not have any agreement with them,” Zelensky said.
He stressed that Ukraine was “not afraid” and that “everything should be done so that we can use this Black Sea corridor” even without Russia’s involvement. According to Zelensky, ship-owning companies approached Ukraine and said they were ready to continue supplying grain if Ukraine and Turkey agreed to go ahead with the corridor.
Deputy Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov also tweeted that the grain deal should continue regardless of whether Russia is a member or not. “This is a security issue for everyone,” the official said.
Meanwhile, two people have been killed and 10 wounded in an attack on the Ukrainian town of Bilopillya in the Sumy region, located just 8 kilometers from the Russian border. One victim was a local humanitarian volunteer while another victim was returning home from a shop when Russia attacked the area from across the border.
Ukraine and other countries also commemorated 283 passengers of the international flight MH17 from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by the Russian Buk-1 air defense system over its puppet republic in Donbas exactly 9 years ago. The tragedy became a demonstration that the effects of the Russian aggression against Ukraine are felt far from the invaded country.
“A dark day not only because of the horrific loss of life from Russian terror, but also because even this was not enough to awaken the free world to throw all its power into defending Ukraine and sanctioning Russia. Excuses, investigations and business as usual for 8 more years,” wrote Garry Kasparov, a member of the Russian opposition in exile.
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