Ukraine has carried out a massive underwater blast targeting the key road and rail bridge connecting the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula to Russia, damaging its underwater supports. The operation was claimed by Kyiv’s SBU security service, which described it as an “absolutely legitimate target” since the enemy used the bridge as a logistical artery to supply its troops.
The attack comes amid efforts by Ukraine to change the narrative promoted by the Trump administration that Kyiv holds few cards in the war. The mining of the 12-mile-long Kerch bridge follows recent long-range drone attacks on airbases deep inside Russia, which Ukraine claimed had damaged “34% of [Russia’s] strategic cruise missile carriers”.
The latest strike has killed at least four people and wounded 25 when a Russian rocket attack on the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Sumy. Zelenskyy denounced the assault, saying it underscored the fact that Moscow had no intention of halting the war.
Ukraine’s SBU said the operation against the Kerch bridge had been planned for several months and involved over a metric tonne of TNT, severely damaging the base of the bridge supports. This is the third time Ukraine has targeted the key logistics route since Moscow’s full-scale invasion in 2022.
Russian authorities have temporarily suspended road traffic on the bridge due to damage, while Russian state media reported it had been closed for about four hours. The sides are still far apart in talks, with Russia rejecting Kyiv’s call for an unconditional ceasefire and instead offering a partial truce of two to three days in some areas of the frontline.
The White House has welcomed Ukraine’s attendance at the NATO summit later this month, saying it is “open” to the idea of a summit between the presidents of Russia, Ukraine, and the US.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/03/ukraine-hits-bridge-linking-crimea-to-russia-with-underwater-explosives