Two Civilians Killed In Explosion On Crimean Bridge: Russia Accuses Ukraine, Investigative Committee Opens Terrorism Investigation

Jembatan Crimea. (Wikimedia Commons/Obviously Badminton)

A pair of Russian husband and wife were killed, while their 14-year-old daughter was injured on Monday as a result of an attack carried out by Ukraine, according to Moscow, as the family drove across the Crimea Bridge at night for a family vacation on the Black Sea coast of Crimea.

The explosion reportedly occurred before dawn on highways and a 19 km (12 miles)-long rail bridge linking Russia to Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

It is not clear how the bridge, one of President Vladimir Putin's prestige projects, was attacked, but videos posted on social media showed the family car was destroyed.

Russian media said the family was on its way for a vacation in Crimea. As other drivers tried to provide assistance, a girl could hear crying and forgetful.

Blood seeps from the door into a puddle of water on the road, when one of the other drivers asks the girl to be silent. The girl's name is Angelina and turns 14. His parents who died were Alexei and Nataliya.

"The girl was injured," said Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, via the Telegram messaging app.

"The hardest thing is that his parents die. There are no words that can calm the pain of loss here," he added.

The car they were traveling in came from the Belgorod region, one of Russia's border areas that has witnessed conflict in neighboring Ukraine widening across the border.

An unknown relative told the RBK news agency the family traveled with the girl's aunt, in two cars, deciding to travel at night to avoid traffic jams.

"At around 3 am, the family heard the first explosion, after that the lights went out on the bridge," said the relative.

"After the second explosion, there were no more contacts."

Meanwhile, the Russian Investigative Committee said Kyiv was behind the attack, they also said it was opening an investigation into terrorism cases related to the attack.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian military called Russia responsible, but Ukrainian media said Ukraine's security services had used underwater drones to attack a bridge that had recently returned to full operation after suffering severe damage in a similar attack last October.