Ukraine Strikes At The Heart Of Russia’s Highly Defended Kerch Bridge

There is a dispute over the extent of damage to the Kerch Bridge after an early morning attack. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it detonated underwater explosives on pillars of the Kerch Bridge early Tuesday morning that “severely damaged” it. Russian sources, however, acknowledged the attack but downplayed the destruction, noting that traffic flow resumed within hours. Russian sources also claimed they repelled a sea drone attack on the bridge later on Tuesday. The bridge is heavily defended by layers of passive and active measures.

The bridge mining operation, which SBU said was months in the making, marks the third time it has attacked Russia’s prized $4 billion span linking Russia with the Crimean peninsula it occupies. The rail and roadway bridge has served as a critical logistics supply route for Russian troops. This latest incident comes just two days after SBU launched a major drone blitz on airbases inside Russia, which Ukrainian officials claimed destroyed or damaged strategic bombers and other high-value aircraft, the number of which is still to be determined.

SBU released a video showing an underwater explosion next to bridge pillars. In the 8-second clip, you can see the explosion erupt out of the water, followed by a plume of smoke. However, it does not show whether any damage was caused. The security agency also released a still picture showing a damaged guardrail.

The SBU did not say how it obtained the video, but it appears they may have access to the bridge’s security CCTV feed.

“The SBU conducted a new unique special operation and struck the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time underwater!,” SBU claimed on Telegram. “The operation lasted several months. SBU agents mined the supports of this illegal facility. And today, without any civilian casualties, at 4:44 a.m., the first explosive device was activated!”

“The underwater supports of the piers were severely damaged at the bottom level – 1,100 kg (about 2,425 pounds) of explosives in TNT equivalent contributed to this,” SBU further claimed. “In fact, the bridge is in a state of emergency.”

Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk, the SBU commander, “personally supervised the operation and coordinated its planning,” the agency stated.

“God loves the Trinity, and the SBU always brings what it has conceived to the end and never repeats itself,” Malyuk said in a statement. “Previously, we hit the Crimean Bridge twice in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition underwater. No illegal Russian facilities have a place on the territory of our state. Therefore, the Crimean Bridge is an absolutely legitimate target, especially considering that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops. Crimea is Ukraine, and any manifestations of occupation will receive our tough response.”

The War Zone cannot independently verify the claims pertaining to the operation.

The explosion is geolocated to the southeastern pylon for the section of the bridge where ships pass under, on the Sea of Azov side.

The Russian bridge authority, which claimed that the span had been temporarily closed due to “inspection,” said it reopened several hours later.

“Motor vehicle traffic on the Crimean Bridge has been resumed,” the official CRIMEAN BRIDGE: operational information Telegram channel stated at 9 a.m. local time, a little more than four hours after the explosions. “There are no difficulties in accessing the inspection points on either side of the Crimean Bridge.”

The Romanov Light Telegram channel claimed the bridge was largely unharmed.

“The support was inspected this morning – it was not damaged,” Romanov Light posited. “We are waiting for information from the Services – who leaked the video and the frame from the cameras.”

Still, Romanov Light said he hopes this incident spurs additional security measures around the bridge.

“We will strengthen the underwater defense line of the bridge in advance, won’t we?,” he asked rhetorically. “We will deploy echo sounders, anti-torpedo equipment, strengthen and increase the number of underwater barriers… Right?”

While SBU said the bridge was mined, it remains unclear just how the explosives were planted under it and when.

There was an unconfirmed claim that Ukraine used its Marichka underwater drone in the attack, however, no visual evidence has emerged of that.

Hours after the bridge was reopened, Romanov Light said that Ukraine attacked it again with sea drones at about 3 p.m. local time. Area residents reported hearing an explosion, according to the Ukrainian Crimean Wind Telegram channel.

“A helicopter was launched into the air and is flying around the coastline along the strait,” Crimean Wind claimed. “There is panic in Kerch publics.”

A video emerged claiming to show a surface drone boat attempting to attack the bridge today being destroyed by a Russian Lancet drone.

At around 3 p.m. local time, the bridge authority said the span was closed again, but did not explain why.

“We ask those on the bridge and in the inspection zone to remain calm and follow the instructions of the transport security officers,” it stated. At around 5:42 p.m. local time, the bridge was reopened.

During the first attack, in October 2022, the bridge was damaged by a truck bomb. In July 2023, it was hit by sea drones.

The Russians have tried to address the bridge’s vulnerability to attack by sea. In the wake of the second attack, Russia created a barrier along the Black Sea side of the bridge made up of sunken barges. Russia bolstered those defenses further over the next year and a half. The sunken barges were eventually removed, but fixed anti-swimming/sabotage screens were installed along the entire span of both bridge sections. These were done in two layers on the Black Sea Side and one on the Sea of Azov side. Chains of floating barges were also anchored in place, creating a funnel to the critical approach to the opening under the bridge for larger ships to pass through.

Russia has also drastically increased active defenses around the bridge, which include helicopter, surface, and on bridge patrols. Enhanced vehicle screening, additional air defenses, as well and anti-diver/sabotage interdiction operations have also been put in place.

Given all these security measures, it is remarkable that the SBU was able to get explosives under the bridge, especially at its most critical point. Had they been able to drop it, the result would not only be severing bridge traffic, but also closing off access to the Sea of Azov. This would have been a major blow, especially to occupied areas that line this body of water.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com