Explosions reported in Kerch, Crimea: Ukrainian drones, missiles allegedly target bridge

Explosions were reported in the Kerch district of Crimea early on Friday, a region annexed by Russia in 2014. The Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, was temporarily closed, according to official Russian sources and various Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels.

Russian air defense forces reportedly intercepted a missile attack near the Crimea Bridge and the ferry crossing between Russia and the annexed peninsula. However, details remain unconfirmed.

The city of Kerch, situated on the eastern edge of Crimea along the Kerch Strait, connects the Azov and Black Seas. The Russian monitoring channel Prigranichie, as reported by the BBC, claimed that eight rockets were fired at the bridge, though no other sources have confirmed this information.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymsky Weather reported explosions in Kerch, with smoke rising from the ferry crossing area.

Russian officials acknowledged the air alert and confirmed the closure of the Crimean Bridge. Additionally, the so-called Governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhaev, claimed that a drone attack on the city had been repelled. Ukraine has yet to comment on the alleged attack.

In a later update, Russia’s Ministry of Defense announced that five Ukrainian drones and two unmanned boats headed towards Crimea were destroyed over the Black Sea. The Ministry did not specify the locations or mention any missile attack. The most significant prior explosions affecting the bridge occurred in October 2022 and July 2023, causing substantial damage.

In 2013, Ukraine and Russia agreed to jointly construct a transportation link across the Kerch Strait. However, following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, Moscow completed the bridge independently. The road section of the bridge opened in 2018, followed by the railway section in 2019. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Crimean Bridge has been a crucial supply route for Russian military operations.