The explosion on Kerch Bridge, linking Russia to Crimea, may have been influenced by a “wave” spotted just before the bridge was engulfed in flames, unverified social media footage suggests. Three people were killed in the early hours of Saturday morning after a truck exploded on the key supply route, Russia’s Investigative Committee said following the blast.
“They are believed to be passengers of a car that was near the truck that exploded. The bodies of two victims, a man, and a woman, have already been recovered from the water and their identities are being established,” the committee said in a statement.
The investigators have also established the details of the truck and its owner, registered in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region, and begun searching his place of residence, it added.
Ukraine’s media reported an explosion on the bridge early this morning at 6 am, while Russia’s RIA state news agency said a fuel tank was on fire. The bridge was built in 2018 and designed to link Crimea with Russia’s mainland.
It is a vital supply route for Russia’s southern army in Ukraine, which has been coming under increasing pressure from a Ukrainian counteroffensive in recent weeks.
As such, any damage to the bridge will hamper Russian efforts to resupply its beleaguered armies. The attack represents a serious blow to Putin’s war efforts. Mick Ryan, a retired army Major General, said the attack was “certainly a punch in the face for Putin”. Earlier, Russia’s RIA agency, citing a local official, said: “A fuel tank is on fire on one of the sections of the Crimean bridge.”
Another Moscow-appointed official said: “A cistern carriage is burning with fuel on one of the bridge sections. “Shipping arches aren’t affected. “Too early to talk about reasons and consequences. Work is underway to put out the fire.” Photos circulating on social media appeared to show that the road span of the bridge had collapsed into the water.
Images also show fires burning fiercely in several railway trucks along the length of the train, numbering at least half a dozen with the train stationary on the bridge. OSINT investigators on social media speculated as to the cause of the blast, with many dismissing initial Russian claims. (SOURCE)
