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Ukraine attacked Crimean bridge with surface drones, Russia says

  • The parents of a girl were killed and their daughter was injured in a passenger car on the Crimea Bridge early on Monday, according to the Belgorod region governor
  • In October, the bridge – which was personally inaugurated by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 – was partially destroyed in a blast that killed three people

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The Crimean bridge connecting the Russian mainland with the peninsula across the Kerch Strait, Crimea. Photo: Reuters

Ukraine attacked the Crimean bridge overnight using unmanned drones on the water surface, Russia’s Anti-Terrorist Committee said on Monday, according to state media.

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Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement that Ukrainian “special services” were responsible for the attack, and that it had opened a criminal investigation.

The Crimea Bridge, a key supply line for Russian troops in Ukraine, was damaged in an “emergency” situation which killed two people and injured a child, Russian officials said on Monday, while Ukrainian media reported blasts on the bridge.

Traffic was stopped from using the Russian-built bridge linking Russia to Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014, said Russian officials.

Train services later resumed across the bridge, state-run Tass news service reported, citing Russia’s Transport Ministry. Ferries would also be used to transport trucks between the peninsula and Russia, according to local officials.

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The 19km (12-mile) road and rail bridge has been a pride infrastructure project of President Vladimir Putin, who drove a Mercedes across the bridge in 2022 after it was repaired following an explosion.

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