Explosions on Crimean bridge, one of spans collapsed, traffic completely stopped

Baku/17.07.23/Turan: Explosions have occurred on the Crimean bridge, Russian and Ukrainian media and Telegram channels reported in the early morning of Monday, 17 July. Traffic is blocked and huge traffic jams have formed in front of the bridge, according to photos and videos from social networks, DW reported.

According to Telegram channel "Baza", one of the bridge spans collapsed as a result of the explosions. According to preliminary data, two people were killed, another one was injured, the channel says.

Meanwhile, the public "News of Kerch, Crimea, Russia" indicates in the social network "VKontakte" that the explosions occurred at 3:04 and 3:20 and they were heard in different areas of Kerch.

Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the fact of the explosions at the time of publication. However, the Russian-appointed "governor" of annexed Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, wrote in Telegram that there had been "an emergency incident at the bridge in the area of pillar 145 on the side of the Krasnodar region." He urged Crimean residents and guests of the peninsula to "refrain from travelling across the Crimean bridge and for safety reasons choose an alternative overland route through the new regions".

Traffic on the bridge has been completely stopped and a multi-kilometre traffic jam has formed on the approach to the bridge.

"Given the current situation, I ask residents and guests of the peninsula to refrain from travelling across the Crimean bridge and, for safety reasons, to choose an alternative overland route through the new regions," Aksyonov said.

In turn, the "minister of resorts and tourism" of the annexed Crimea Vadim Volchenko urged holidaymakers on the peninsula to stay in their accommodation if possible.

The night incident with the illegal Crimean bridge is the result of a special operation carried out jointly by the Navy forces of the AFU and the SSU, RBC-Ukraine reports with reference to sources in the Security Service.

"The bridge was attacked with the help of surface drones. It was difficult to reach the bridge, but in the end it was possible to do it," - said the unnamed sobesenik RBC-Ukraine.

Recall that earlier, on 8 October 2022 already once the Crimean bridge was undermined.

Then, collapsed two car spans of the bridge, killed four people. -06В-