Russian President accuses Ukraine of being behind bridge explosion
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of being behind the Kerch Bridge explosion and of planning an “act of terrorism” that destroyed part of the crucial link between Russia and the annexed territory of Crimea, as calls for reprisals are increasingly heard.
The bridge, which has significant strategic and symbolic value for Russia, was partially damaged on Saturday by what Moscow said was a truck bomb. Road and rail traffic over the 19 km (12 mi) bridge was temporarily halted, impeding a vital supply route for Russian forces fighting a renewed Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“It was designed, implemented, and ordered by Ukrainian special services.”
Putin is due to convene a meeting of the country’s Security Council on Monday, at which the body’s deputy chairman, Dmitry Medvedev, said Russia should kill the “terrorists” responsible for the attack.
“Russia can only respond to this crime by directly killing terrorists, as is the custom elsewhere in the world. This is what Russian citizens expect,” the former president was quoted as saying by the official Tass news agency.
The damage to the bridge came amid battlefield defeats by Russia to the east and south and growing concerns over the use of nuclear weapons. Last month, Russia officially annexed four regions of Ukraine after hastily organized referendums in violation of international law, and Putin has repeatedly warned that any attack on Russia could provoke a nuclear response.
Just minutes from my home. Just 20 minutes ago. What is #Russia trying to hit? The national university? The park? Or the playground? pic.twitter.com/311EHalGH6
— Lesia Vasylenko (@lesiavasylenko) October 10, 2022
