President Putin Accuses Ukrainian Special Services Behind Crimean Bridge Explosion

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday accused Ukraine of planning Saturday's blasting of the main bridge linking Russia and Crimea, categorically calling it an act of terrorism.

"There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying very important civilian infrastructure," President Putin said in a video on the Kremlin's Telegram channel.

"This was designed, carried out, and ordered by the Ukrainian special services," Putin said.

President Putin met Alexander Bastrykin, head of Russia's Investigative Committee, who presented the findings of an investigation into what he said was Saturday's vehicle explosion and subsequent fire on the bridge.

The explosion on the bridge over the Kerch Strait, a key supply route for Moscow's troops in southern Ukraine, sparked happy messages from Ukrainian officials on Saturday, but there was no claim of responsibility.

The bridge is also the main artery for the port of Sevastopol, where the Russian Black Sea fleet is based.

Speaking to the camera, Bastrykin said investigators had established the route the vehicle was traveling and the people involved in its movement.

He said that it had passed through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, South Ossetia, and Russia's Krasnodar region before arriving at the bridge.

The damage to the bridge, which has become an impressive symbol of Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula, comes amid a battlefield defeat for Russia, and could further cloud the Kremlin's belief that a conflict was planned.

Rail services and road traffic were partially resumed the day after the explosion. The image shows half of the road section of the bridge destroyed, with the other half still attached.

Russia captured Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and the 19km (12-mile) bridge connecting the region to its transport network was grandly opened four years later by President Putin.

The Russian governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, told reporters that residents would stay alive even if the bridge was damaged.

"Of course the emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire for revenge," he said.

Aksyonov said Crimea had fuel for a month and food for two months. Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry said on Saturday that its troops in southern Ukraine could be "fully supplied" via existing land and sea routes.