Ukraine plans to blow up the Kerch Bridge connecting Russia to Crimea by the first half of 2024 to strengthen its campaign in liberating the occupied region. The report came from a high-ranking Ukrainian military intelligence official in an interview with The Guardian, stating the destruction of the 12-mile (19-kilometer) bridge is now “inevitable.”
The Ukrainian military has previously attempted to destroy the bridge twice, in October 2022 and June 2023. While the first attack caused certain sections to collapse, Moscow was able to restore it. In the second attempt using sea drones, “significant damage” was caused to the infrastructure.
Russian occupiers have fortified the Kerch Bridge with underwater barriers to protect it from aerial and underwater sabotage after the attacks. More troops have reportedly been deployed to defend the bridge, which analysts consider an “obvious target.” The extensive measures taken by Moscow to protect the bridge raise questions about how the Ukrainian military will successfully carry out the planned attack.
