Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Ukraine on Monday of launching an attack on the bridge connecting Russia and the Crimean Peninsula, with participation from Britain and the United States. Zakharova stated, "Today's attack on the Crimean bridge was carried out by the Kyiv regime. This regime is terrorist and has all the distinctive features of a group of international organized crime." She added, "Ukrainian officials make decisions with direct participation from intelligence and politicians in both the United States and Britain."
The Russian Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as the Ukrainian "terrorist" attack on the bridge. It stated, "If it turns out that the unmanned marine vehicles used in the attack on the bridge have a Western origin, as well as the involvement of Western countries in planning, sponsoring, and executing this operation, this will confirm their complicity in the terrorist activities of the Kyiv regime."
In contrast, two Ukrainian media outlets reported that "the Ukrainian internal security agency and the navy are behind the incident that took place on the Crimean bridge." The Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee pointed out that "Ukraine attacked the Crimean bridge last night using unmanned marine vehicles." It added in a statement, "Special Ukrainian forces are responsible for the attack," indicating that a criminal investigation was opened.
Earlier today, the governor of the Belgorod region in southern Russia, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced the death of a man and his wife, with their daughter injured while they were in a car on the Crimean bridge. In a message via the Telegram app, Gladkov stated, "The girl was injured. The hardest thing is that her parents died." The girl is receiving treatment for "moderate" injuries. The Krasnodar health ministry confirmed the deaths of the girl's parents.
The head of the Crimean Parliament was quoted by Russian media, stating that "Ukraine is responsible for the Crimean bridge incident that resulted in the death of two people," pointing out that the bridge was attacked by what he described as "the Ukrainian terrorist regime." Traffic on the Crimean bridge has stopped due to an "emergency," according to Russian officials.
Crimean Governor Sergei Aksyonov noted, "The emergency concerns the bridge supports from the side of Krasnodar region." R.B.C. Ukraine news agency reported that explosions were heard on the bridge.
Analyst George Barros from the Institute for the Study of War stated that "if the damage to the bridge is severe, it will significantly impact Russian supply lines," adding, "Russia will only have one ground supply line, the coastal highway on the Sea of Azov, to support (or evacuate) its tens of thousands of troops in Kherson and Crimea if Ukraine manages to weaken or destroy the bridge."
Ukrainian military spokesman Natalia Humeniuk suggested that "the Crimean bridge incident could be a provocation by Moscow," stating, "Eliciting such provocations, which the occupation authorities in Crimea announced with great fanfare, is a typical method of the Crimean authorities and the aggressor state to resolve issues."
