Fuel tankers engulfed in flames from the attack on the Crimean Bridge, October 8, 2022.
The blast that rocked the Crimean Bridge early on Saturday is just "the beginning," a top aide to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has warned.
"Crimea, the bridge, the beginning," Mikhail Podoliak tweeted. "Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled." The former journalist, who is effectively the Kiev regime's main propagandist, controls the president's "information policy."
He previously warned, in August, that Europe's largest bridge "should be destroyed" because it's "an illegal construction and the main gateway to supply the Russian army in Crimea."
The crossing was closed in the early hours of Saturday after a truck exploded, damaging the road and causing a huge fire.
Comment: Russia's foreign ministry
responded to this statement from Kiev:
Ukraine's reaction to the explosion that damaged the Crimean Bridge speaks to the "terrorist nature" of its leadership, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. The bridge was closed for traffic after a truck blew up early on Saturday.
"The reaction of the Kiev regime to the destruction of civilian infrastructure testifies to its terrorist nature," Zakharova wrote on Telegram several hours after the blast.
Ukrainian officials have stopped short of claiming responsibility for the explosion, but an aide to President Vladimir Zelensky, Mikhail Podoliak, warned on Twitter earlier that what happened at the bridge, called the Kerch Bridge, was "just the beginning."
Ukraine's Defense Ministry also tweeted that "the guided missile cruiser Moskva and the Kerch Bridge - two notorious symbols of Russian power in Ukrainian Crimea - have gone down. What's next in line, russkies [Russians]?"
Russia's Black Sea flagship Moskva sank off the coast of Odessa in April. According to Moscow, a fire broke out on board, causing the detonation of ammunition. However, Kiev claimed to have struck the cruiser.
Various Ukrainian officials have promised to attack the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Russian peninsula of Crimea to the country's Krasnodar Region, on several occasions since the conflict between Moscow and Kiev broke out in late February.
The blast on Europe's longest bridge occurred at around 6am local time, leading to a partial collapse of the road on the part of the bridge used by vehicles. A blaze also broke out on the parallel rail section, where seven fuel tanks caught fire.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that a truck blew up as it was traveling along the 19-km-long structure. CCTV videos from the scene also showed a vehicle exploding.
The fire has already been extinguished, and the damage caused by the blast is being assessed. The Crimean authorities said that ferry service would be provided while the bridge is being repaired.
Estonian foreign minister has
apparently congratulated Ukraine on hitting the bridge, which shows how some in the West view state terrorism.
Additional footage and commentary:
"Peskov: no forecasts on terms of Crimea's bridge restoration yet.
Crimean head Serhiy Aksyonov has said that the ferry crossing in the Kerch Strait will start operating today.
Another video, allegedly of an explosion on the Crimean bridge, has been published on social networks.
Video: social networks
"Crimea Railways said a fuel tanker in the tail of a goods train caught fire. The locomotive and part of the wagons have been withdrawn to Kerch station. Emergency operations are underway. Causes of the accident are being determined."
UPDATE: Saturday 8th October 2022 @ 20:14 CETRussia's Ministry of Foreign affairs confirms that the bridge is back online for cars and trains:
Comment: The Empire is quite happy to use Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia. But they'll never commit personnel to the war except for "advisors". As has been said, "the U.S. will fight Russia to the last Ukrainian."