Russia's FSB says five Russians among eight detained over attack on Crimea bridge

Amid the ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war, Russia's security forces have detained eight people over the attack on the Crimea bridge. While five out of the eight are from Russia, the remaining three are from Ukraine and Armenia. This comes as Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) believes that the attack on the Crimea bridge was organised by the Main intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry is headed by Kyrylo Budanov. The FSB worked with an investigative committee to establish who was behind the attack on Crime bridge.

According to a statement by FSB, the explosives which led to the bridge's highway section tumbling into the Kerch Strait, were sent from Odessa through Bulgaria, Georgia and Armenia. Russia news agency Tass has reported that the cargo which was carrying the explosives was sent to a shell company in Crimea. 

Putin calls Crimea bridge blast a ' terrorist attack' 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has categorised the bomb blast as a terrorist attack. "There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure," he stated on October 9. Putin met with the investigative comitee's head, which is headed by Aleksandr Bastrykin. He discussed with Bastrykin the investigative committee's findings. "This was devised, carried out, and ordered by the Ukrainian special services," Vladimir Putin said, as per reports from the Financial Times. According to Bastrykin, the truck which was used for the attack had travelled to Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, and Russia's North Ossetia region and Krasnodar.

The bridge was constructed by Russia after it annexed the Crimean peninsula back in 2014. It is a key route connecting Crimea with the Russian mainland. The bridge is crucial to Russia for ensuring smooth transport of key supplies to Russian forces fighting in southern Ukraine, as per reports from the Wall Street Journal. "The situation is manageable -- it's unpleasant, but not fatal. Of course, emotions have been triggered and there is a healthy desire to seek revenge," said the Russia-installed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov. Ukraine has not claimed responsibility for the attack.