Ukraine began a new attack on the strategically crucial Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula, early Monday.
The Ukrainian navy and the SBU security service used two armed maritime drones to carry out the strike, which killed a Russian couple and injured their daughter in their car.
The bridge’s critical traffic link is expected to stay closed until November, causing turmoil for thousands of Russian tourists visiting the peninsula. Commercial flights to Crimea have been halted since Russia’s incursion in February 2022, therefore most tourists drive there.
On Monday, there were traffic jams as returning visitors attempted to travel home through Russian-controlled southern Ukraine, territory that Kyiv is attempting to reclaim.
Vladimir Saldo, the Russian-appointed governor of Ukraine’s Kherson region, said air defense and other security measures would be strengthened along the overland path to Crimea. It remains to be seen, however, whether this would comfort the visitors that the state has been attempting to recruit to the Black Sea peninsula, which Russia captured and annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
At a time when Russians’ options for vacationing abroad are limited by visa restrictions and flight limitations, the incident casts doubt on Moscow’s belief that a peninsula known for its rocky environment, gorgeous bays, and mild weather can be enjoyed safely.
In October 2022, a Ukrainian truck bomb strike partially destroyed the Kerch Bridge.Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the current attack would be met with retaliation.
“Of course, there will be a response from Russia,” he said. “The defense ministry is preparing relevant proposals. I am waiting for specific proposals to improve the security of this strategic, important transport facility.”
