Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) confirmed on Tuesday that it had carried out a new covert operation targeting the Crimean Bridge, a critical piece of infrastructure connecting the annexed peninsula to mainland Russia. The strike, which took place at 4:44 a.m. local time, involved the underwater detonation of over a ton of strategically placed explosives beneath the bridge’s pillars, causing “severe damage” to its foundation.
According to Russian media citing the road traffic information center, vehicle traffic on the bridge has been temporarily suspended. No civilian casualties were reported, according to the SBU, which also released footage of the explosion. The agency’s chief, Lieutenant General Vasyl Maliuk, personally oversaw the operation, which had been in the planning stages for several months.
“The Crimean Bridge is an absolutely legitimate target,” Maliuk stated, noting that this marks the third Ukrainian attack on the structure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Kyiv considers the peninsula illegally occupied territory, and the bridge a key logistical route for Russian forces operating in southern Ukraine.
The strike comes just 48 hours after another bold SBU operation, dubbed “Operation Spider Web,” in which Ukrainian drones simultaneously hit four Russian air bases stretching from Siberia to the Arctic. Ukrainian sources reported that over 40 aircraft were destroyed or damaged in the raid, including Tu-95 and Tu-22 strategic bombers used by Russia to launch long-range missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
It was the largest and most damaging attack on Russian aviation since the war began. The drones were reportedly smuggled into Russia hidden inside trucks carrying mobile wooden structures. The operation was reportedly in the works for over a year and a half and was conducted under the direct supervision of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense acknowledged the strikes, confirming damage at five military installations. A fire broke out at the Belaya airbase in the Irkutsk region following the drone impact, and officials in Murmansk also reported aerial attacks on the Olenya base. Footage released by Ukrainian sources showed several bombers engulfed in flames.
Both Ukrainian offensives come just days before a new round of direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow, scheduled for Monday in Istanbul. The intensification of hostilities on both sides suggests a bid for strategic leverage ahead of negotiations.
Zelensky has conditioned any progress in talks on a “complete and unconditional” ceasefire, as well as the return of prisoners of war and deported children. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the capture of the village of Oleksiivka in Ukraine’s Sumy region, prompting forced evacuations in 11 surrounding settlements.
In retaliation for the Ukrainian attacks, Moscow launched a massive aerial offensive on Sunday night, deploying 472 drones and seven missiles, according to Ukrainian armed forces. A strike on a training unit left at least 12 soldiers dead and 60 injured, leading to the resignation of Ukraine’s ground forces commander, Mykhailo Drapatyi.
