\Ukraine Attacks Russia's Bridge Towards Crimea With Underwater Explosives

JAKARTA - The security office of the Ukrainian SBU claims to have attacked roads and rail bridges connecting Russia and the Crimean peninsula under the surface with explosives.

SBU claims to have used 1,100 kilograms of explosives that were detonated in the early hours of the morning and damaged the underwater pillar of the bridge, which is the main supply route for Russian troops in Ukraine in the past.

Official Russian media providing regular status updates regarding the bridge said its operations had been suspended for about three hours between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time.

There was no mention of the reason for the temporary closure, but said the bridge had been reopened and was functioning as usual.

"Previously, we attacked the Crimea Bridge twice, in 2022 and 2023. So today we continue this tradition underwater," SBU said in a statement.

SBU shared video footage showing an explosion next to one of the many bridge support pillars.

Reuters managed to confirm the location from the bridge's structure and support elements that matched the satellite imagery and files in the area.

Russian military bloggers said the attack was unsuccessful and speculated the attack was carried out by Ukrainian sea drones.

On Sunday, Ukraine launched a drone in an operation codenamed "Spider Network" to attack Russian long-range bombers capable of nuclear over remote airfields across Russia.

The 19 km (12 miles)-long Crimean Bridge over the Kerch Strait is the only direct link between Russia's transport network and the Crimean peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The bridge is the main project of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The bridge consists of separate highways and railroads, both supported by a concrete stage, which provides a way for a wider span supported by a steel arch at the point where ships pass between the Black Sea and the smaller Azov Sea.

The bridge was used by Russian troops during their invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, when they crossed it to reach Crimea and from there seized parts of southern Kherson and southeastern Zaporizhia Ukraine.