Traffic was interrupted on this vast car and rail bridge linking the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Russia and Russian territory. Moscow announced the opening of a criminal investigation.
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A major fire has broken out on the vast car and rail bridge linking the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia, and Russian territory, Russian authorities said on Saturday (October 8th). “A fuel tank caught fire at the back of a train”, according to the Crimean Railways. Footage circulating online from the bridge shows the railway line in flames for tens of meters and a collapsed section of road.
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The Russian Investigative Committee announced the opening of a criminal investigation, stating that the fire took place after “Truck Explosion”. The Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee for its part evoked the explosion of a car bomb. This bridge, built at great expense on the orders of Vladimir Putin, has rail and road lines which are essential for transporting people and goods to the peninsula.
“Today at 06:07 [05h07 en France] on the road part of the Crimean bridge (…) a car bomb exploded, which caused the fire of seven railway tanks that went to Crimea”the committee announced. Rail and road traffic have been stopped, and ferries have been set up to allow the crossing, according to Russian agencies. According to the Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee, two road lanes are damaged, but the arch of the bridge is not affected.
Inaugurated in 2018, the bridge that spans the Kerch Strait has become the symbol of the 2014 annexation. Russia has always maintained that the bridge poses no risk despite the fighting in Ukraine, but it threatened kyiv with reprisals if Ukrainian forces were to attack this infrastructure or others in Crimea.