Ukraine’s SBU Strikes Russia’s Crimean Bridge with Underwater Bombing Operation

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) confirmed a successful underwater operation that struck the Kerch Bridge linking Russia to occupied Crimea early Tuesday morning. This marks the third time Ukraine has targeted the critical structure, following previous strikes in 2022 and 2023.

The SBU announced the strike via its official Telegram channel, stating that agents planted explosives on the underwater supports of the bridge and detonated them at 4:44 a.m. local time. The agency used explosives equal to 1,100 kilograms of TNT, causing what they described as “severe damage” to the bridge’s foundation.

“In fact, the bridge is in disrepair,” the SBU stated in its post. It also released video footage of the explosion, which quickly spread across social media.

SBU head Lieutenant General Vasyl Malyuk confirmed the operation, saying: “We previously hit the Crimean Bridge twice in 2022 and 2023. Today, we continued this tradition—this time, underwater. The Crimean Bridge is a legitimate target. Russia uses it to move troops and weapons into our occupied territory.”

“Crimea is Ukraine, and any manifestation of occupation will get a strong response.”

The Kerch Bridge, which stretches 12 miles across the Kerch Strait, has both symbolic and strategic importance for Russia. It serves as a major logistics route for Russian military operations in southern Ukraine, and as a symbol of Moscow’s claim over Crimea since it annexed the peninsula in 2014.

Russian authorities temporarily closed the bridge following the blast. According to Ukrainian outlet Ukrainska Pravda, traffic resumed approximately three hours later. No casualties have been reported.

This latest strike follows a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Sunday, which hit multiple military airbases deep inside Russia, including in Murmansk, Irkutsk, Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions.

The bridge was last hit in 2023, when Russia shot down two Ukrainian missiles. Video from that time showed heavy smoke rising from the crossing.