Ukraine again struck the Crimean Bridge, or the Kerch Bridge, a huge hit on the lifeline connecting Russia and the annexed Crimean Peninsula. On Tuesday, Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, reported that it had placed bombs underwater at the bridge piers, triggering 1,100 kilograms of explosives early in the morning to “severely damage” the underwater pillars underpinning the bridge.
Submarine Attack Brings Crimean Bridge Traffic to Standstill
The SBU reported on Telegram that the operation was planned and carried out over several months. The initial explosion went off right at 4:44 a.m. local time. The bridge was shut down twice in the day—once early morning, then again mid-day—before reopening at about 6 p.m. While the full extent of the damage is unknown, this is the third serious attack on the bridge since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
🔴 BREAKING: For the third time, Ukraine’s Security Service blew up the Crimean Bridge—this time underwater.
The operation took months. Underwater supports were badly damaged at the base. The bridge is now in critical condition. pic.twitter.com/6p1bqyMBj4
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) June 3, 2025
Vasyl Malyuk, the director of the SBU, who coordinated Tuesday’s operation, underlined the strategic value of the attack. “God loves the Trinity, and the SBU always carries things through to the end and never repeats itself twice. We used to hit the Crimean Bridge twice already, in 2022 and 2023. Today we continued this tradition, but under water,” he added. Malyuk also emphasized that the bridge is a “legitimate target” inasmuch as Russia depends on it as an important “logistical artery” in order to support its forces combatting in mainland Ukraine.
Symbolic and Strategic Target for Russia
The Crimean Bridge is extremely symbolically important to Russian President Vladimir Putin, reflecting his attempt to anchor Crimea as Russia’s after its annexation in 2014. Putin opened the bridge in 2018 after spending $3.7 billion on its construction, and it serves as a vital supply line for Russian troops stationed in Crimea and other regions.
This recent attack is, in fact, a continuation of past episodes. For instance, in October 2022, a truck carrying fuel exploded and set some sections of the bridge ablaze. Then, in July 2023, the SBU reported that it had knocked out a section with an experimental sea drone. Nevertheless, Russian officials promptly restored the damages on both occasions.
Russian authorities responded to Tuesday’s attack by suspending not just bridge traffic but also sea traffic in the waters off Sevastopol, Crimea’s biggest city, state media RIA Novosti reports.
