TEXT & CONTEXT: WHY IS KERCH BRIDGE ATTACK SIGNIFICANT?
The Kerch Bridge, which links the Russian mainland to the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea, came under attack last week. One section of the bridge was damaged by waterborne drones, apparently Ukranian.
TEXT & CONTEXT: WHY IS KERCH BRIDGE ATTACK SIGNIFICANT?
The Kerch Bridge, which links the Russian mainland to the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea, came under attack last week. One section of the bridge was damaged by waterborne drones, apparently Ukranian.
In retaliation, Russia carried out massive airstrike at the Ukrainian port city of Odessa.
After this, Russia announced withdrawal from an UN-brokered deal that allowed Ukraine to export its grain via the Black Sea, where Russia has enforced a naval blockade.
The Kerch Bridge, across the Kerch Strait, has two parallel rail and roadways. It was opened by President Putin in 2018, four years after Russian annexation of Crimea through a contested referendum.
The bridge is important for Russia for symbolic, administrative and operational reasons. After the 2014 annexation, the bridge helped link mainland Russia with Crimea. So, the Kerch Bridge remains a critical logistical supply link for the Russian troops in the south.
On the other hand, Ukrainian counteroffensive was to destroy the bridge, cutting off Russia from Crimea. It also wants to disrupt Russian supplies to southern Ukraine, a focal area.