Image Credit: X account @ZelenskyyUa
Ukraine Hits Crimea Bridge with Underwater Explosives
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has claimed responsibility for a bold and technically complex underwater operation that targeted the heavily guarded Crimea Bridge early Tuesday. In a statement, the SBU said its operatives managed to mine the underwater supports of the bridge over several months, eventually detonating explosives equivalent to 1,100 kilograms of TNT.
The operation, which the SBU said caused “severe damage” to the lower level of the bridge’s support structures, reportedly occurred without any civilian casualties. The strike, which could not be independently verified at the time of reporting, marks the latest in a string of high-risk sabotage efforts by Kyiv against Russian military infrastructure in occupied Crimea.
Traffic on the bridge was initially halted, with Russian media reporting a temporary closure before operations resumed by 10:00 local time. However, later in the day, the bridge was closed again amid fresh, unconfirmed reports of additional explosions. Local authorities and official Telegram channels warned civilians in the inspection zones to remain calm and comply with security instructions.
Though Moscow has not officially responded to the incident, Russian military commentators speculated that an underwater drone might have been used in the attack, hitting a protective barrier. However, Ukraine’s security service insisted that traditional explosives were used and confirmed that its own chief, Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk, directly oversaw and coordinated the operation.
Malyuk, in a public statement, proudly asserted Ukraine’s continued campaign against the bridge, referencing previous attacks in 2022 and 2023. “We are continuing this tradition under water,” he stated, reinforcing that “no illegal Russian facilities have a place on the territory of our state.”
He also emphasized the strategic importance of the bridge, calling it a “legitimate target” due to its critical logistical role in supplying Russian troops in Ukraine’s occupied south. The Crimea Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, was constructed by Russia following the 2014 annexation of Crimea and inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin in 2018. It has since become a symbol of Russia’s grip on the peninsula and a recurring target in Ukraine’s efforts to dismantle Moscow’s control.
The underwater sabotage comes just two days after Ukraine’s ‘Spider Web’ operation, in which over 100 drones were smuggled into Russia and deployed near air bases via unsuspecting lorry drivers. The drones then autonomously launched attacks on strategic Russian military aircraft, including long-range bombers.
As Ukraine expands the scope of its asymmetric operations deep into Russian and occupied territory, the attack on the Crimea Bridge underscores the country’s growing ability to strike at high-value symbols and infrastructure, even in one of the most heavily surveilled and protected regions of the war zone.
