Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
In a statement released via social media, SBU Chief Vasyl Malyuk said: “God loves the Trinity, and the SBU always brings what is conceived to the end and never repeats itself. Previously, we struck the Crimean Bridge in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater.”
The operation, which detonated 1,100 kilograms of explosives (TNT equivalent) beneath the bridge at 4:44 a.m., was carried out without civilian casualties, the SBU said. Video released by the agency shows an underwater blast, with subsequent damage to the submerged piers of the bridge.
The Crimean Bridge, constructed by Russia following its 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea, is a vital link between mainland Russia and the occupied peninsula. It serves as a key route for transporting military personnel, equipment, and supplies to Russian-occupied areas in southern Ukraine.
A Strategic and Symbolic Target
The attack is the third successful Ukrainian operation against the bridge since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. Previous strikes in October 2022 and July 2023 inflicted damage but failed to render the bridge inoperable.
Ukraine’s Navy spokesperson, Dmytro Pletenchuk, confirmed later on June 3 that the "key and most complex" part of the bridge had been impacted. The operation was reportedly personally overseen by SBU chief Malyuk, underlining the mission’s strategic and symbolic importance.
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) responded by announcing the detention of an alleged Ukrainian intelligence agent in Crimea, claiming the individual was involved in constructing the explosive device under Kyiv’s orders.
Russian Response and Continued Tensions
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that three Ukrainian drones were downed over Crimea around the time of the attack. Local Russian Telegram channels reported that the bridge was closed between 6 and 9 a.m., and again in the afternoon, after a new explosion was reported near Kerch around 3 p.m. Helicopters were reportedly seen patrolling the Kerch Strait, and several channels suggested a renewed drone offensive on the peninsula may be underway.
The bridge’s symbolic value to Moscow cannot be overstated. Costing nearly $4 billion, its construction was a major political statement by the Kremlin, physically linking Russia to the annexed territory and asserting sovereignty over the disputed region.
Broader Operational Context
The underwater attack comes just two days after a mass Ukrainian drone strike on Russian strategic aviation sites on June 1. Both operations reflect an intensifying Ukrainian strategy aimed at degrading Russian military capabilities and striking high-value symbolic targets as part of its broader resistance to the ongoing occupation.
As of late June 3, no official Russian casualty figures or damage assessments have been released. The Crimean Bridge remains a focal point in the war’s southern theater and a potent emblem of the high-stakes conflict over Crimea’s future.
The United States plans to extend its travel ban to over 30 countries, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday....
Chinese President Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the leader of Eu...
U.S. President Donald Trump brought together the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Washington on Thursday to sign a peace deal...
A viral claim circulating online that Denmark requires sperm donors to have an IQ of at least 85 is misleading....
The United States plans to extend its travel ban to over 30 countries, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the leader of Europe’s second-largest economy, highlighting Beijing’s strategic focus on Paris in its dealings with the European Union.
Israel was cleared on Thursday to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, a decision made by the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which sparked a major controversy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, aiming to enhance trade with Russia’s leading buyer of arms and seaborne oil, as Western sanctions continue to pressure their long-standing relationship.
For nearly three decades following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the international system was defined by a singular, overwhelming reality: American unipolarity.
Chinese scientists have unveiled a new gene-editing therapy that they say could lead to a functional cure for HIV, making it one of the most promising developments in decades of global research.
Faced with mounting public outrage following one of the deadliest environmental disasters in the nation’s recent history, the Indonesian government has pledged to investigate and potentially shut down mining operations found to have contributed to the catastrophic flooding on Sumatra.
Britain’s King Charles III welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday, marking the beginning of his three-day state visit to the United Kingdom. The visit, the first by a German President to the UK in 27 years, comes as the two countries continue to strengthen ties post-Brexit.
Israel was cleared on Thursday to participate in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, a decision made by the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which sparked a major controversy.
The United States plans to extend its travel ban to over 30 countries, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on Thursday.
Chinese President Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the leader of Europe’s second-largest economy, highlighting Beijing’s strategic focus on Paris in its dealings with the European Union.
U.S. President Donald Trump brought together the leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in Washington on Thursday to sign a peace deal, despite ongoing fighting in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Friday, aiming to enhance trade with Russia’s leading buyer of arms and seaborne oil, as Western sanctions continue to pressure their long-standing relationship.
President Donald Trump has appointed a new architect to oversee the highly anticipated White House ballroom project, a White House spokesman confirmed on Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment