In a bold pre-dawn attack on Tuesday, Ukraine’s security service claimed it damaged Russia’s Crimea Bridge by targeting its underwater pillars with powerful explosives. The 19-kilometre bridge, connecting mainland Russia to the annexed Crimean Peninsula, is a key supply route for Russian military forces in Ukraine.
According to Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), around 1,100 kilograms of explosives were used in the operation. Video footage released by the agency showed a blast striking one of the bridge’s support pillars. The SBU described the mission as carefully planned and said it had been preparing for several months.
Although Russian officials did not confirm the damage, local media reported that the bridge was closed from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. local time, with no clear explanation. It was later reopened, and traffic resumed as usual. Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers insisted the attack failed and suggested a Ukrainian sea drone might have been used.
The SBU noted that this was not Ukraine’s first strike on the Crimea Bridge. It previously hit the structure in 2022 and again in 2023. “So today we continued this tradition underwater,” the agency said, underlining the symbolic and strategic importance of targeting the bridge.
Built after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the bridge is Russia’s only direct land link to the peninsula. It carries both road and rail traffic and has played a critical role in moving troops and weapons into southern Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
This latest attack follows Ukraine’s broader efforts to disrupt Russian military operations. Just days earlier, Ukraine launched “Spider’s Web,” an operation that used drones to target Russian long-range bombers stationed at airfields deep inside Russian territory.