Crimea Bridge Closed After Fuel Depot Hit – Russia

Russian authorities have said a drone attack on an ammunition depot in Crimea led to civilian evacuations and disrupted transport.

Sergei Aksyonov, the Russian-installed governor of occupied Crimea, accused Ukraine of being behind the attack, without providing evidence.

He said local residents living within five kilometres of the blast were being evacuated.

Rail services across the Kerch bridge have also reportedly been halted.

Earlier today, Russian authorities stopped traffic on the bridge, but then swiftly reopened it to cars.

A later update from the Moscow-installed government said road traffic was again halted until further notice.

The district where the strike was reported is more than 100 miles from the Kerch bridge.

The bridge, often referred to as the Crimea bridge, was opened in 2018 enabling road and rail access between Russia and Crimea – a Ukrainian territory annexed by Moscow in 2014.

It has become a symbol of Russian occupation and is also an important re-supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.

On Monday, a blast on the bridge killed two people and damaged the road but the railway line, which runs parallel to it, was not damaged.

 The Kremlin blamed Kyiv for Monday’s attack and said Ukraine had carried out a “terrorist” act.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also vowed to retaliate and accused Ukraine of launching a “senseless” and “cruel” attack