Traffic on the Crimean Bridge was temporarily stopped due to an “emergency” situation, according to Russian officials on Monday. Ukrainian media reports also suggested that there were blasts on the bridge. Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor, stated that the emergency occurred on the 145th pillar of the bridge, which connects the Crimean peninsula to the Russian region of Krasnodar. Although he did not provide further details, the RBC-Ukraine news agency reported explosions on the bridge.
Crimea was annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014 but is still recognized as part of Ukraine internationally. The Grey Zone channel, a heavily followed Telegram channel associated with the Wagner mercenary group, reported that there were two strikes on the bridge at 03:04 a.m. (0004 GMT) and 03:20 a.m. However, these reports have not been independently verified.
It is unclear how this incident will affect the U.N.-brokered deal that allows for the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. The deal is set to expire on Monday and remains uncertain as of Sunday night.
The 12-mile road and rail bridge had previously been damaged by an explosion in October, which the Kremlin claimed was orchestrated by Ukrainian security forces. Although Ukraine indirectly admitted to the attack months later, the exact details of responsibility were unclear.
In response to the emergency situation on the bridge, both Aksyonov and the governor of the Krasnodar region, Veniamin Kondratyev, have set up operational headquarters. The Russian-backed administration of Crimea assured that the necessary supplies are provided to the peninsula but urged residents not to travel via the bridge.
Serhiy Bratchuk, a spokesperson for Ukraine’s Odesa military administration, shared a photo on Telegram showing a broken section in the middle of the bridge, but it is uncertain if it is related to the reported attack.
The situation on the Crimean Bridge is ongoing and Reuters has not been able to independently verify the reports. There has been no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne; Editing by Kim Coghill, Michael Perry and Guy Faulconbridge