Vladimir Putin was extremely proud of the Kerch bridge linking Crimea and Russia. One analyst said that its collapse was a “punch in Putin’s face” on his birthday.
Vladimir Putin was dealt a humiliating blow when one of his most prized projects in Ukraine collapsed into the ocean. The Kerch bridge linking Crimea and Russia was a crucial link during the war. It also served as a vital resupply route for Russia’s military in southern Ukraine. This morning, however, the footage shows the bridge’s road section falling into the ocean.
Another video of damage to the bridge from this morning. https://t.co/0MEUA1VBXC pic.twitter.com/cgQtCwJqeC
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 8, 2022
The bridge’s rail section was opened in 2020. It was set ablaze by a fiercely burning train that was stuck to the bridge.
Video footage shared online showed the intense fire and thick smoke billowing into Crimea’s air.
Unconfirmed footage that circulated on social media claimed to show the moment the explosion occurred.
Official Russian sources have stated that an oil tanker was responsible for the explosions and subsequent fire.
Mykhailo Podolyak (an adviser to the Ukrainian presidency) appeared to take responsibility for Kyiv.
He tweeted: “Crimea is the bridge, the beginning.
https://twitter.com/Share_Talk/status/1578695524739600385?s=20
“All illegal items must be destroyed. All stolen material must be returned to Ukraine. Everything belonging to the Russian occupation must also be removed.”
@Osinttechnical monitors the conflict and tweeted: “Losing Crimean Bridge road span was bad news for the Russians but the rail span spent multiple hours being cooked, by a variety of fuel cars with no sign that a Russian firefighting response.
“The Russians heavily rely on this rail span to transport heavy equipment into Crimea and south Ukraine, particularly Kherson Oblast.”
This is despite the fact that Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s President, claimed that Ukrainian forces had retaken over 500km of territory and dozens of settlements in the south Kherson region.
Many Ukrainians celebrated the collapse of their country, declaring that it was a late birthday gift for Vladimir Putin who turned 70 yesterday.
John Sweeney, a British journalist, commented: “Ukraine sends Vladimir Putin birthday presents: His big fancy Kerch bridge on the fire in bits.
“This is a humiliating experience for the Kremlin master.”
Video of damage to the Crimean Bridge. https://t.co/roEjIKH19B pic.twitter.com/DwsS5O625g
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) October 8, 2022
Many shared footage from the moment that Vladimir Putin opened the road bridge in 2018.
Major General Mick Ryan, a retired Australian Army officer, tweeted his analysis of the attack.
“The Ukrainians have proven to be a great team in operational design and shaping operations ahead of their advancements.
“This could be part of their plan to take back Crimea in the near term – or part of a deception operation designed to distract from other areas.
It presents Russia with a serious problem. While it doesn’t stop the resupply to Crimea, there are ships and the route through Melitopol. However, it makes Melitopol more important for Russia.
Footage reportedly of the explosion that hit the Crimean Bridge pic.twitter.com/qQR6nhsb6B
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) October 8, 2022
This is a huge influence operation win for Ukraine. Even if they didn’t do it it is still a demonstration to Russians and the rest of the world that Russia’s military can’t protect any of its recently annexed provinces.
The retired general also predicted an increase in Russians fleeing Crimea after the latest attack.
