Ukraine war latest: Kyiv attacks Crimean bridge for 3rd time since beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion

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2 days ago

Key developments on June 3:
Russia's Crimean Bridge rocked by explosions, Ukraine's SBU claims responsibility
Russian strike on downtown Sumy kills at least 4, injures 28, authorities say
Ukraine to deploy new units to counter Russian drone attacks, Air Force says
Ukrainian strike on Russian bombers alarmed Kremlin over nuclear carriers vulnerability, Bloomberg reports
Record number of Russians support peace talks, end of war in Ukraine, poll shows
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out the third attack against the Crimean Bridge since Russia's full-scale war began in 2022, mining and damaging its underwater supports, the SBU announced on June 3.
"God loves the Trinity, and the SBU always brings what is conceived to the end and never repeats itself," SBU Chief Vasyl Malyuk said in a statement posted on social media.
"Previously, we struck the Crimean Bridge in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater," he added.
The SBU said the operation "lasted for several months, with agents mining the "supports of this illegal construction."
Constructed after Russia's illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014, the Crimean Bridge is a critical supply and transport route for Russian forces to the occupied Ukrainian territories.
"And today, without inflicting any civilian casualties, the first explosive was activated at 4:44 a.m.," the SBU said.
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Underwater supports of the bridge's piers were severely damaged at the bottom as 1,100 kilograms of explosives in TNT equivalent were detonated, according to the statement.
Russian state media later reported a "Ukrainian intelligence agent" who had constructed a bomb on "orders from Kyiv" had been detained by Russia's FSB.
In comments later on June 3, Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Navy, said the "key and most cpmplex" part of the bridge had been damaged in the attack.
The operation, which follows the SBU's mass drone strike against Russia's strategic aviation on June 1, was personally supervised by the agency's chief, Vasyl Maliuk.
A claimed "agent of Ukrainian intelligence services" has been detained in Crimea, Russia's Federal Security Service said later on June 3, accusing the detainee of producing a "powerful explosive."
The bridge suffered significant damage during two previous Ukrainian attacks in October 2022 and July 2023, though neither managed to take the bridge out of commission.
The construction of the bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, holds a significant symbolic value for Russia. The $4 billion project was a political statement designed to affirm the Kremlin's illegal 2014 annexation of Crimea, as the peninsula is not connected by land to Russia.
Russia's Defense Ministry previously claimed that three Ukrainian drones were downed over Crimea overnight on June 3.
The Crimean Bridge was closed for traffic between 6 and 9 a.m. local time on that day, according to local Telegram channels. The Mash Telegram channel reported that a Ukrainian drone was shot down over the bridge, and its debris fell onto the road.
According to pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Crimean Wind, the bridge had been closed down for inspection, possibly to examine damage.
Later the same day, Crimean Wind reported a new "powerful explosion" near Kerch at around 3 p.m., writing that a helicopter is patrolling the strait. Several local channels reported that a fresh drone attack against the peninsula was underway in the afternoon, and that the bridge is closed once again.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims.
Russian forces attacked downtown Sumy in Ukraine's northeast on June 3, killing four people and injuring 28 others, including three children, according to Ukrainian authorities.
According to preliminary reports, Russia launched five attacks on Sumy using multiple launch rocket systems.
"The Russians launched a savage strike on Sumy — directly targeting the city and its ordinary streets with rocket artillery. It was a fully deliberate attack on civilians," President Volodymyr Zelensky said on X.
A 17-year-old was among the injured, with authorities describing the condition of many victims as serious.
At nearly 4:30 p.m. local time, the death toll rose to four after a 43-year-old man who was in a serious condition died in the hospital. His seven-year-old daughter was also severely injured in the Russian attack.
The attack reportedly set two cars ablaze, destroying them completely. A medical facility and residential buildings were also damaged.
At 7 p.m. local time, rescuers finished working at the sites of the attacks. Sappers also examined the affected area and removed the remains of explosives, the State Emergency Service reported.
Local authorities declared June 3 and 4 a day of mourning in Sumy.
According to Zelensky, at least one of the projectiles used by Russia in the attack on Sumy failed to detonate, piercing the wall of a nine-story apartment building.
"That alone says everything one needs to know about Russia's so-called 'desire' to end this war," he added, calling on the U.S. and Europe to increase pressure on Moscow.
Sumy Oblast, which borders Russia to the north, has been a repeated target of Russian incursions and shelling since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022. The region has recently seen renewed hostilities as Russian forces ramp up activity along the northeastern border.
In late May, President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia is accumulating 50,000 troops near Sumy Oblast, seeking to create a 10-kilometer buffer zone in the area.
Read also: As 50,000 Russian troops amass, Ukraine's Sumy Oblast braces for potential large-scale offensive
New air defense units will be established to counter Russia's drone attacks on Ukraine, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat said in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda on June 2.
Despite ongoing peace talks, Russia continues to reject calls for an unconditional ceasefire, intensifying drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring civilians.
Overnight on June 1, Russia launched an aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying a record 472 drones.
Ukrainian forces downed 210 drones, including Shahed-type attack drones, while 172 more drones were intercepted by electronic warfare or disappeared from radars, according to the Air Force.
"We would have liked to have had better results, but there were still dozens of hits," Ihant said.
According to Ihant, Russia employed tactics involving the launch of a large number of weapons at a single target that approached from high altitude. During their meeting on June 2, air force commanders emphasized the urgent need to strengthen drone air defense capabilities, he said.
"We are talking about anti-aircraft drones that help intercept air targets. Crews are being trained in different locations on the territory of our country. New units will be introduced," the spokesperson said.
Russia seeks to produce up to 500 drones per day, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in late May.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has more than doubled its long-range drone production in 2024 compared to the previous year — a staggering 22-fold increase since 2022.
By the end of 2024, Ukraine had developed a total of 324 new types of weapons, according to the Ministry of Strategic Industries.
Read also: Exclusive: Russia's ballistic missile production up at least 66% over past year, according to Ukrainian intel figures
A recent Ukrainian drone strike deep inside Russian territory has sparked anger and concern among Kremlin officials over the exposed vulnerability of a nuclear-capable air force far from the front lines, Bloomberg reported on June 2, citing undisclosed sources close to senior Moscow officials.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) carried out the operation "Spiderweb" on June 1, targeting Russian air bases at Belaya, Diaghilev, Olenya, and Ivanovo with drones hidden in trucks across Russia.
The strike is claimed to have hit 41 aircraft, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers. These planes belong to Russia's nuclear-capable air fleet and are used to launch cruise missile attacks on Ukraine's cities.
Ukraine's General Staff said in its daily update on June 3 that Russian forces lost 12 aircraft, without elaborating on the types of destroyed planes or whether more had been damaged.
Meanwhile, a source close to the Kremlin told Bloomberg that the number of affected aircraft may be closer to 10. According to the outlet's sources, only a small number of the targeted Russian bombers are required for strikes against Ukraine, meaning the pace of missile and bombing attacks is unlikely to slow.
The SBU claimed the operation caused approximately $7 billion in damage and disabled one-third of Russia's cruise missile bombers.
Independent confirmation of the damage caused is so far limited to satellite images of Belaya air base, which appear to confirm the destruction of at least three Tu-95MS strategic bombers and one Tu-22M3 aircraft, with an additional Tu-95MS visibly damaged.
Another image shows two more likely destroyed Tu-22M3 bombers on the field.
The number of Russian citizens who support peace talks and an end to the war in Ukraine has reached a record high since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to a poll by the independent Russian pollster Levada Center published on June 2.
Some 64% of the respondents favored peace talks, representing a 6% increase since March. Meanwhile, the number of people who supported the war's continuation decreased from 34% in March to 28% in May.
Compared to previous survey results, in May 2023, 48% of respondents believed that the war should continue. In May 2024, this figure dropped to 43%.
The news comes after the second round of direct peace talks between Ukraine and Russia occurred in Istanbul. The parties agreed on a new prisoner exchange, as well as the repatriation of 6,000 bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers. No agreement on a ceasefire was reached.
The share of supporters of peaceful negotiations is higher among women (73%), people under 24 (77%), residents of villages and towns with populations under 100,000 (67% each), as well as those who believe that the country is going in the wrong direction (76%) and those who disapprove of Russian President Vladimir Putin's presidential performance (77%).
The share of those who support continuing the war is higher among men (39%), respondents aged 55 and older (35%), residents of Moscow (40%), those who believe that things in the country are going in the right direction (32%), and those who approve of the activities of the current president (30%).
A majority of respondents (73%) believe that Russia and Ukraine should address the hostilities' root causes and only then agree on a ceasefire. On the contrary, some 18% think that the parties will first reach a truce and ceasefire and then resolve all other issues.
Only 3% of Russians believe Russia is an obstacle to peace. At the same time, 14% of respondents believe that the U.S. is to blame, while 36% each see Ukraine and European countries as major obstacles in peace negotiations.
The center conducted the survey from May 22 to 28, involving 1,613 people aged 18 and older in 50 regions of Russia.
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