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Updated May 28th, 2023 at 16:43 IST

Ukraine’s Security Service hints its role in Crimea bridge blast; 'was logistic route'

Putin travelled with his Deputy Prime Minister Marat Husnullin who gave all the updates about the renovation work and the progress on reconstruction of bride.

Reported by: Zaini Majeed
Kyiv
Crimea Bridge or Kerch Bridge that was targeted in October 2022. (Image: AP) | Image:self
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Head of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Vasily Malyuk on Friday indicated that the explosion on the Crimea Bridge or Kerch Bridge in October last year was carried out by the Ukrainian forces as they had to disrupt Russian logistics. In a remark to Ukrainian media, Malyuk said that the incident, which Moscow described as a “terrorist act”, was orchestrated by Ukrainian special services using a truck bomb to cut off Russian force's equipment and men's supply as the battle ensued to the South. 

“In accordance with international law and the customs and traditions of warfare, given that this was a logistics route that had to be cut off, certain measures were taken," Maluk was quoted saying. 

SBU head was asked to comment on the blast that damaged the bridge in October 2022, when he admitted that Ukrainians might have had a role to play in it. Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had claimed that the attack on the bridge was masterminded by the Ukrainian intelligence service and its chief, Kirill Budanov, which the latter had denied. 

Putin took stock of construction of Crimea bridge personally

Russia's President Vladimir Putin had driven personally in a Mercedes across the Crimean Bridge or the Kerch Bridge at the time it was under construction to take stock of the progress. The bridge links southern Russia to the 2014 annexed Crimean peninsula and was destroyed during the fierce fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces. 

Putin travelled with his Deputy Prime Minister Marat Husnullin who gave all the updates about the renovation work and the progress on reconstruction of the bridge that was damaged in the explosion. The Crimea Bridge blast shocked Moscow as it is one of the prominent showcase infrastructure projects for Russia after it annexed Crimean territory, according to Kremlin-aligned media outlet RIA Novosti. 

The 12-mile (19 km) road and rail bridge was launched by Russia's President Putin in 2018. As it was attacked, Kremlin blamed the Ukrainians for plotting the explosion while the civilian cars drove on it. Russian installed authorities in Crimea furthermore said that a truck had exploded on the Crimean Bridge, damaging the infrastructure, a plot unfolded by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's regime.

Vladimir Konstantinov, the Russian-appointed head of the "Crimean Parliament" [set up by the Russian occupiers in 2014], alleged that "Ukrainian vandals" had damaged the entire bridge as the war between Ukraine and Russia intensified. Moscow must respond to Ukraine’s "terror attack" that destroyed the Crimean bridge "by directly killing terrorists", Russia's Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, noted.

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Published May 28th, 2023 at 16:43 IST

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