Russia 'fully opens' Crimea Bridge '39 days ahead of schedule' on eve of war anniversary

Russia on Thursday announced that it has "fully reopened" the Crimea or the Kerch bridge that had incurred a partial collapse due to damage to a key supply artery during the Russian armed forces faltering efforts to counter Ukrainian assaults in October 2022. The road traffic was disrupted because of the repair work, undergoing for months after the major explosion crippled the bridge. Crimean Bridge links southern Russia's Taman peninsula with 2014 annexed Crimea to Russia. The blast on the 19km (12-mile) bridge—Europe's longes— had left three dead. 

On the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian offensive on February 24, Russia projected the completion of the repair task much earlier than the previously announced July 2023 deadline. The collapse of the bridge, symbolic of “reunification," disrupted the heavy goods traffic for several months as the mid-section of two carriageways plunged into the sea. The railway line running along the bridge was also reported damaged. Only rail and light road traffic had partially resumed. Crimea is key to sustaining Russia's military operations in the southern regions of Ukraine as during the initial phases of the war, Russian troops had built a land corridor to it along the Sea of Azov, wherefrom the military equipment was transported. 

"All lanes of the Crimean bridge are fully open to car traffic 39 days ahead of schedule," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said, according to his press service's statement released on website, Wednesday. 

Credit: AP

Putin drove on the Crimean bridge in Mercedes

Kremlin's website carried a statement, noting that the Russian firm Nizhneangarsktransstroy was a contractor tasked with the "design and restoration of destroyed elements of the transport and engineering infrastructure of the Crimean Bridge". Moscow had accused Ukrainian forces of orchestrating the attack whilst civilian traffic was operating on the road. A huge fire engulfed the train of fuel tanks on the railway line on the adjacent side of the bridge. 

Russia's President, Vladimir Putin, had set a "deadline by which state contracts for the work are to be completed... of 1 July 2023". He had personally driven a Mercedes across the Crimean Bridge, accompanied by his Deputy Prime Minister Marat Husnullin while it was under construction, to take stock of the construction progress, Kremlin-aligned media outlet RIA Novosti had reported. Putin ordered a “government commission” to examine the damage. Moscow’s Basmanny District Court apprehended Alexander Bylin, Oleg Antipov, and Dmitry Tyazhelykh under Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code [terrorist attack]. At least 12 people were accused of direct involvement in the blast, according to Russian Investigation Committee.

Putin visited Kerch bridge and drove on the lane that was repaired after the explosion in February. He also talked to construction workers.

Do you think he really was there? pic.twitter.com/n3bSz4lNtt

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 5, 2022

Russian installed authorities in Crimea said after the explosion that a truck with explosives had gone off on the bridge. Vladimir Konstantinov, the Russian-appointed head of the "Crimean Parliament" [set up by the Russian occupiers in 2014], alleged that "Ukrainian vandals" had plotted the explode the entire bridge to cut the supply route of the warring Russian soldiers. The Kerch Strait road-and-rail bridge was personally inaugurated by Putin in 2018.