The 19 km road-and-rail Crimean Bridge passes over the Kerch Strait. (AFP/File)
Ukraine carried out a new attack on Monday, targeting the strategically significant Kerch Bridge connecting Russia and the occupied Crimean peninsula.
Two armed maritime drones deployed by the Ukrainian navy and SBU security service executed the attack, resulting in the death of a Russian couple in their car and injuring their daughter.
Due to the attack, the crucial road link on the bridge is expected to remain closed until November, causing disruption for thousands of Russians vacationing in the peninsula. Commercial flights to Crimea have been suspended since the Russian invasion in February 2022, and most tourists typically travel to Crimea by crossing the bridge.
As a result, there were traffic jams on Monday as returning visitors attempted to drive back through Russian-controlled southern Ukraine, an area that Kyiv is striving to reclaim.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Ukraine's Kherson region, announced that air defense and other security measures would be strengthened along the overland corridor to Crimea. However, it remains uncertain whether this will reassure tourists, as the state has been actively promoting the Black Sea peninsula as a safe and attractive destination.
The Kerch Bridge had already suffered partial destruction in a Ukrainian truck bomb attack in October 2022. In response to the recent attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that there would be retaliation.
"Of course, there will be a response from Russia," he stated. "The defense ministry is preparing appropriate proposals. I am awaiting specific suggestions to enhance the security of this strategically important transport facility."
