Explosions on the Kerch Bridge, connecting mainland Russia with Crimea, resulted in the deaths of at least two individuals on Monday morning.
Russian officials and representatives confirmed the fatalities and the temporary suspension of traffic on the bridge. The governor of the Russian region bordering Ukraine, Belgorod, reported the two deaths on the Crimean Bridge.
Earlier reports from a Russian news agency indicated that a child was injured during the bridge incident. In the early hours of Monday, Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-appointed governor of Crimea, announced via Telegram that the bridge, built by Russia, was closed due to an emergency related to one of the bridge's supports in the Krasnodar region. Aksyonov stated that law enforcement agencies and relevant authorities were present at the scene, and he had discussed the situation with the Russian Minister of Transport, Vitaly Savelyev.
Efforts were underway to restore normalcy to the situation. Aksyonov advised people to avoid using the bridge and seek alternative routes. Furthermore, it was reported by the Russian news agency Tass that a 4 km traffic jam had formed at one of the bridge entrances, prompting authorities to suggest alternate routes for travelers.
Explosions were also heard on the bridge, as reported by the RBC-Ukraine news agency. A channel associated with the Russian private military group "Wagner" on Telegram claimed responsibility for two strikes on the bridge. In October of the previous year, the bridge had experienced a substantial bombing when a truck carrying explosives damaged a crucial supply route for Russian forces in Ukraine.
Despite the damage, limited vehicular traffic resumed approximately 10 hours after the explosion. Key details about the bridge include its length of 19 kilometers across the Kerch Strait, serving as the sole direct connection between Russia's transportation network and Crimea, which was annexed from Ukraine by Moscow in 2014. The bridge, which consists of separate roads for vehicles and railways, was inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in a grand ceremony in 2018, during which he personally drove a truck.
It spans a strategic area where ships navigate between the Black Sea and the smaller Sea of Azov.
