Two dead on Crimean bridge – closed after alleged explosions
According to the authorities, two people from the Belgorod region died in an incident on the bridge to the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. A man and a woman died in their car on Monday, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said in a video message. The couple’s daughter was injured and taken to the hospital.
While there was talk of an explosion on the Crimean bridge on social networks, the authorities did not provide any information about what happened there in the early morning. Traffic on the bridge has been halted. Officially, there was talk of an “emergency”. The Russian Ministry of Transport announced that there was damage to the roadway, the bridge construction was intact.
The head of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, said that the background would be clarified. Rail traffic on the bridge should be up and running again around 9:00 a.m. local time (8:00 a.m. CEST). By then, it should also be clarified when ferry operations can be resumed. The Crimea is in full swing because of the holiday season. Residents of the region and tourists should choose an alternative land route through the Russian-occupied regions of southern Ukraine.
According to the Ukrainian military, the Crimean bridge incident could be a provocation by Russia. The procedure and the subsequent loud announcement are typical, says the spokeswoman for the southern command, Natalya Humeniuk, on the Rada station.
Crimea, annexed by Russia since 2014, has repeatedly been the target of drone attacks. Ukraine has announced that it will take back its territory as part of a counter-offensive.
The incident happened more than nine months after the massive explosion on the bridge. The approximately 19-kilometer-long construction was severely damaged in October 2022, but was repaired again. At the end of May, the Ukrainian secret service admitted involvement in the explosion for the first time.
Traffic was stopped in the area of the 145th pillar of the bridge, Aksjonov said on Telegram. All law enforcement authorities and all responsible departments are in action. Measures would be taken to restore the situation. Aksyonov urged residents to remain calm.
Despite the tense security situation and long controls, Russian vacationers are again being drawn in large numbers to Crimea, which vacationers can only reach by train or car, according to media reports from Russia.