Ukraine says it has struck bridge connecting Russia to Crimea with underwater explosives

Ukraine used underwater explosives to strike a bridge that connects Russia to Crimea, officials said Tuesday.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) detonated incendiaries at 4:44 a.m. local time and continued to strike the area for three hours, using 1,100 kilograms of explosives to hit the overpass used as a supply route by Russian forces.

“No illegal objects of the Russian Federation 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,” SBU Chair Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malyuk said in a statement on Telegram. 

“Crimea is Ukraine, and any manifestations of occupation will receive our harsh response,” he added. 

Ukraine previously struck the bridge in 2022 and 2023 following Russia’s invasion of its sovereign borders. The Tuesday strike follows a Sunday attack where drones were used to destroy what Ukraine described as nearly a third of the Kremlin’s bombers. Russia disputed the damage tally.

Prior to the offensive blow, Russia launched one of the most deadly strikes against Kyiv, leading President Trump to criticize President Vladimir Putin.

The Trump administration has been working to broker a ceasefire between the two countries in an effort to end the conflict.

“We’re going to find out whether he’s tapping us along or not. And if he is, we’ll respond a little bit differently. But it will take about a week and a half, two weeks,” Trump told reporters Wednesday when asked if he thought Putin wanted to end the war.

“They seem to want to do something, but until the document is signed, I can’t tell you. Nobody can,” Trump added. “I can say this — that I’m very disappointed at what happened a couple of nights now where people were killed in the middle of what you would call a negotiation.”