UKRAIN WAR: KEY BRIDGE LINKING CRIMEA TO RUSSIA DESTROYED IN EXPLOSION

An enormous explosion has struck the Kerch bridge, which connects Russia and Crimea. The Kerch bridge is a despised representation of the Kremlin's annexation of the southern Ukrainian peninsula and one of Vladimir Putin's pride projects.

“Today at 6.07 am (03.07 GMT) on the road traffic side of the Crimean bridge … a car bomb exploded, setting fire to seven oil tankers being carried by rail to Crimea,” Russian news outlets reported, citing the national anti-terrorism commission, albeit it was not possible to confirm the information right then. Another Moscow-appointed official said: "A cistern carriage is burning with fuel on one of the bridge sections. Shipping arches aren't affected. Too early to talk about reasons and consequences. Work is underway to put out the fire."

The incident took place on Saturday, 6 Am when an explosion caused a massive fire on the bridge which engulfed at least two train carriages. The cause of the explosion is still unknown but loud enough that it could be heard from miles away. It was unclear from video footage uploaded on Russian Telegram channels whether the truck detonated or was caught in the blast, which looked to be in the explosion's epicentre.

The bridge, which was constructed on Vladimir Putin's instructions and opened in 2018, served as both a major troop transport route and a means of delivering military supplies to Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, particularly in the south.