In a retaliation attack, Ukraine has launched a major attack on the Kerch Strait Bridge, a critical infrastructure link connecting the Russian mainland to the occupied Crimean Peninsula.
The strike, which occurred early Tuesday, was carried out using underwater explosives, according to Ukraine’s SBU security service. This is the third attack on the bridge since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
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Surveillance footage shows a massive explosion beneath the bridge, targeting its underwater support pillars with the equivalent of 1,100 kg of TNT. The blast caused debris to fall onto the road above, severely damaging the structure.
A Russian military blog, Rybar, reported that a Ukrainian underwater drone struck a defensive barrier around one of the bridge’s pylons, though the full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
The Kerch Strait Bridge, spanning 12 miles and constructed by Russia in 2018 following its annexation of Crimea in 2014, serves as a vital logistical artery for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
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Lieutenant General Vasyl Maliuk of the SBU, who supervised the operation, described the bridge as “an absolutely legitimate target,” emphasizing its role in supplying Russian troops.
This attack follows a sophisticated Ukrainian drone strike on June 1, 2025, which targeted four Russian airbases, destroying at least 40 warplanes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed the earlier operation as the country’s most ambitious long-range attack of the war.
The strike on the Kerch Bridge comes amid heightened tensions and stalled peace negotiations which is currently in going in Istanbul, Turkey.
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Talks in Istanbul, which began on May 15, 2025, aimed to discuss Ukrainian neutrality and NATO membership, but progress has been limited.
Zelenskyy has demanded a full withdrawal of Russian forces, the return of prisoners, and security guarantees. Russian President Vladimir Putin also seeks recognition of occupied territories and assurances against Ukraine joining NATO.