2022 Crimean Bridge explosion

Not to be confused with the 2023 Crimean Bridge explosion.

2022 Crimean Bridge explosion
Part of the Crimea attacks during the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The aftermath of the explosion on the Crimean Bridge in October 2022
Map
Date8 October 2022
Time6:07 a.m. (UTC+03:00)
LocationCrimean Bridge
PerpetratorSecurity Service of Ukraine
Deaths5

2022 Crimean Bridge explosion was an event during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 8 October 2022, at 6:07 a.m., when a fire broke out on the Crimean Bridge as a result of an explosion of a bomb loaded onto a truck, which occurred on the road bridge, on the westbound vehicle lanes running from Russia to Kerch in Russian-occupied Crimea. Two two-lane vehicular spans of the bridge collapsed into the water. Two adjacent eastbound lanes on a separate structure survived. The railway bridge was also damaged by a railway tanker car that caught fire. Five people were killed. Following the incident, the Investigative Committee of Russia launched an investigation.

The damage reduced the transport capacity of the bridge, which is being used to supply Russian troops in Crimea during the invasion of Ukraine. The explosion occurred the day after the 70th birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin and one week after the announcement of the annexation of four Ukrainian regions by Russia. At the time, no-one claimed responsibility for the explosion and Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the Ukrainian government "did not order" it.[1] However, in July 2023, Ukraine's Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar acknowledged Ukraine had conducted the attack "in order to break the logistics of the Russians".[2] The Security Service of Ukraine confirmed that Ukraine was behind the attack.[3]

Russian officials and a "senior Ukrainian official" speaking to The New York Times stated the explosion was from a bomb loaded onto a truck.[4] The BBC said it was more likely to have been caused by a maritime drone.[5] The Russian Federal Security Service detained five Russian citizens and three people from Ukraine and Armenia, who were accused of organising the attack.[6] In August 2023, Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, gave an interview to The New Voice of Ukraine in which he detailed how a truck carrying explosives was used to cause the explosion.[7]

  1. ^ "'We definitely didn't order it' says Zelensky of the Crimean Bridge explosion". meduza.io. 20 October 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  2. ^ Davis, Charles R. "Ukraine marks 500 days of war by admitting it blew up Russia's bridge to Crimea". Business Insider. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  3. ^ "SBU claims responsibility for 2022 Crimean Bridge attack". Yahoo News. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyttruck was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference bbc20221009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference IDENS.CZ_20221012_FSB_Detain_Eight was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "SBU chief Malyuk on how Crimean Bridge was attacked — twice". The New Voice of Ukraine. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 4 September 2023.