Kerch bridge hit by Ukraine with underwater explosives: Why is the Crimean Bridge is so important to Putin?

Economic Times

2 days ago

Why is the Crimean Bridge is so important to Vladimir Putin?
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Traffic resumes across Kerch bridge
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Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced on Tuesday that it had carried out an underwater explosive attack on the road and rail bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean peninsula . According to the SBU, the operation involved 1,100 kilograms (2,420 pounds) of explosives, which were detonated early in the morning, damaging the bridge's underwater pillars. The structure is a crucial supply route for Russian military forces operating in Ukraine.A Russian state outlet that regularly reports on the bridge's status confirmed that operations were halted for approximately three hours, from 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. local time. While no official explanation for the closure was given, the outlet stated that the bridge had since reopened and was operating normally.The Kerch Bridge, spanning 19 kilometers (12 miles) across the Kerch Strait , serves as Russia's only physical link to Crimea and is a vital supply route for Russian forces operating in Ukraine. The Kerch Bridge is strategically important because it links Russia's Krasnodar region with Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014, according to CNN.Connecting the Krasnodar Krai region to eastern Crimea, the bridge was opened in 2018 following Russia's annexation of the peninsula in 2014 and was inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin.This bridge holds administrative, strategic, and symbolic significance for Russia. It provides a direct connection between mainland Russia's transport infrastructure and Crimea, playing a critical role in the logistical support of Russian military operations in the south.The structure comprises separate road and rail sections, both supported by concrete stilts. At the strait's navigable channel—between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov—the bridge features wider spans held aloft by steel arches to allow ship passage.The bridge holds immense symbolic significance for Russia. Spanning 12 miles and costing approximately $3.7 billion, it is the longest in Europe and a powerful symbol of Putin's ambition to absorb Ukraine and permanently tether it to Russia.Beyond its symbolism, the bridge serves a vital logistical role—supplying Crimea with essential goods, military equipment, fuel, and civilian necessities. Russian military convoys have frequently used it to transport vehicles, armor, and fuel in support of their full-scale invasion of Ukraine.Traffic has resumed across Crimea's Kerch Bridge, hours after Ukraine said it struck the bridge with underwater explosives, reported BBC. The early morning explosion followed an operation lasting "several months", Kyiv's security service said. Ukraine has attacked the bridge twice before, in 2022 and 2023.On Monday, a second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul, Turkey, but concluded without any significant breakthroughs.Despite the lack of progress on key issues, both sides agreed to expand their prisoner exchanges, following a large swap involving hundreds of soldiers last month.Ukraine and its European allies reiterated their call for an unconditional ceasefire, but Kyiv's negotiators reported that Russia once again rejected the demand.Instead, the Russian delegation proposed a temporary truce along the front line, lasting two to three days in specific areas.Ultimately, the talks led to agreements on several humanitarian measures. Both countries committed to repatriating the bodies of 12,000 fallen soldiers and to exchanging all seriously wounded or ill prisoners of war, as well as those under the age of 25.Expectations had been low going into the talks. Deep divisions persist over how to end the conflict, and reports of renewed attacks from both sides emerged just hours before negotiations began.(With agency inputs)