One span of the Crimean Bridge has been destroyed, with another part damaged in an attack blamed on Ukraine, Russia announced on Monday.
The decision to target the Crimean Bridge was made by Ukrainian officials, their military, and with the participation of US, and UK Special Services, Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated.
“Today’s attack on the Crimean Bridge was committed by the Kiev regime. This regime is a terrorist one and has all the signs of an international organized criminal group,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.
⚡️Video from the Crimean bridge moments ago after explosions were heard pic.twitter.com/GzhOUg4ecm
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) July 17, 2023
Meanwhile, the National Antiterrorist Committee (NAK) said the Crimean Bridge was targeted by a Ukrainian terrorist drone attack, killing a couple and injuring their daughter.
In a statement, the NAK said that the key link between the Crimean Peninsula and mainland Russia was attacked by two Ukrainian unmanned sea vehicles at around 3am local time.
“The terrorist act resulted in the road component of the Crimean Bridge sustaining damage. Two adults were killed and one child was injured,” it stated, adding that law enforcement agencies are investigating the matter.
The NAK statement comes after several Ukrainian media outlets described the attack as a “special operation” conducted by the country’s security services and naval forces. Publicly, however, Ukrainian officials stopped short of assuming direct responsibility, while cheering the incident.
UPDATE: Crimean Bridge incident is a terrorist attack conducted with two Ukrainian sea surface drones, criminal case initiated – Russian anti-terrorism committee
READ MORE: https://t.co/KuxA2bf9pf pic.twitter.com/xfFy2mV1iJ
— RT (@RT_com) July 17, 2023
Earlier in the day, Crimean head Sergey Aksenov said that traffic was suspended on the Crimean Bridge due to an emergency, and urged people to avoid traveling via the infrastructure. The road part of the bridge had sustained damage.
“From the side of the Republic of Crimea, there is damage to the roadway on the spans of the Crimean bridge,” the Russian Transport Ministry said on Telegram on Monday morning, adding that the “structures of the spans themselves are on their supports.”
Crimea bridge is not in the best shape. pic.twitter.com/w3Z4FOKddb
— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) July 17, 2023
Black Sea Grain Deal Terminated
Hours after the attack, the agreements underpinning the controversial Black Sea grain deal have been “terminated,” the Kremlin announced on Monday morning.
Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia will immediately return to the arrangement when all parties concerned implement the previously agreed steps.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday – the day the deal expired – Peskov said the “Black Sea agreements effectively ceased to be in effect today.”
Russia has halted its participation in the Black Sea grain export deal, the Kremlin said.
The deal, brokered by the United Nations and Turkey last July, aimed to alleviate a global food crisis https://t.co/rZbxGMbpue
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 17, 2023
According to the Kremlin spokesman, “as soon as the Russian conditions are met, the Russian Federation will return to the deal… The Grain Deal has come to a halt.”
Peskov stressed that the other signatories have yet to honor some of the points of the agreement with respect to Russia.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow has officially notified Türkiye, Ukraine, and the UN that it will not renew the agreement.
Last Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Moscow would “suspend participation in this deal” unless its food and fertilizer exports were unblocked.
Source: Agencies
