Russia Claims to Have Neutralized Attacks on Kerch Strait Bridge, Resulting in Its Third Temporary Closure

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported early on Saturday that it successfully neutralized an attempted assault on the crucial Kerch Strait Bridge, linking the Russian mainland to the annexed territory of Crimea. The Ministry stated that three Ukrainian naval drones were intercepted and destroyed, leading to the bridge’s temporary closure for the third time in less than twelve months.

The first of the Ukrainian naval drones was eliminated on late Friday, followed by the destruction of two additional drones in the early hours of Saturday. Ukrainian authorities have not issued any immediate responses concerning the incident.

As an essential logistical route for Russian forces involved in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, the Kerch Strait Bridge has been a recurrent target since Russia initiated its comprehensive military invasion. An incident in October, attributed by Russian authorities to a truck bomb, resulted in three fatalities. Another attack in July severely wounded a couple and their daughter, leaving part of the bridge’s structure in a precarious condition.

The bridge serves not only as a logistical conduit for both military and civilian supplies but also symbolizes Russia’s geopolitical claims over the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

Furthermore, the Russian Ministry of Defense disclosed the interception of two Ukrainian drones near Russia’s Belgorod region, which shares its border with Ukraine. On Saturday, a woman was injured due to artillery shelling in the Kursk region, also adjacent to Ukraine. Regional Governor Roman Starovoit accused Ukraine of being responsible for the attack. Ukrainian authorities, who typically refrain from commenting on incidents within Russian territory, have neither confirmed nor denied their involvement. Aerial and artillery attacks along the Russian-Ukrainian border have become a routine occurrence.

In their most recent briefing, the Ukrainian military disclosed that Russia had conducted four missile strikes and 39 airstrikes, along with 42 multiple rocket launcher attacks within the past 24 hours. U.K. military intelligence indicated that Russia might risk overstretching its forces to contain potential Ukrainian advancements in southern Ukraine. Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine, Hanna Maliar, confirmed on Friday that Ukrainian troops were making progress in the Zaporizhzhia region.

In a related development, the Kremlin announced a scheduled meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The meeting, slated for next week in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, comes six weeks after Russia terminated an Ankara and U.N.-brokered agreement, which had allowed Ukrainian grain exports to access global markets despite the ongoing 18-month war. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed the upcoming diplomatic talks.

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