SBU: Ukraine Launches Underwater Attack on Crimean Bridge
(MENAFN) Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced Tuesday that it executed a covert underwater operation targeting the Kerch Bridge, a key structure linking Russia’s mainland to the annexed Crimean Peninsula.
In a statement posted on Telegram, the SBU revealed that the mission had been in preparation for several months.
“SBU agents mined the pillars of this illegal object. And today, without any civilian casualties, at 4.44 a.m., the first explosive device was activated,” the agency stated.
Ukrainian intelligence said the underwater supports were critically damaged at their base, with the operation utilizing 1,100 kilograms of explosives, measured in TNT equivalent. The SBU claimed that the damage rendered the bridge beyond repair.
The agency also said that Lt. Gen. Vasyl Malysh, head of the SBU, personally supervised and directed the mission’s planning and execution.
Separately, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said he coordinated the sabotage operation. He described such missions as part of an ongoing pattern, referencing previous attacks on the same bridge in 2022 and 2023. Budanov added that this latest strike continued that sequence, but was distinct in being conducted underwater.
To support its claims, Ukraine released video footage showing the moment of the explosion.
Russia has not yet issued an official response. However, a Telegram channel that monitors developments near the bridge reported that vehicular traffic was temporarily halted.
“Vehicle movement across the Crimean Bridge has been temporarily blocked,” the alert read.
Drivers already on the bridge or in inspection areas were instructed to remain calm and follow the guidance of transport security personnel.
Russian military bloggers reported that Ukrainian forces attempted an attack around 5 a.m. local time, allegedly using an underwater vehicle. They said the blast occurred near one of the bridge’s piers but credited protective barriers with absorbing the explosion’s impact, leaving the main structure intact. Debris scattered onto the roadway, prompting authorities to suspend traffic
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