Crimean Bridge blast: Kerch Bridge age, length, history and purpose
- Crimean Bridge, one of Russia’s key links to southern Ukraine, was damaged in a fuel tank explosion
- The bridge was constructed after the annexation of Crimea, which took place in 2014
- The purpose of this bridge is to serve as a key supply line to support Russia’s war effort
A fuel tank explosion on Saturday set the Crimean Bridge, Russia’s major supply route to support the country’s war effort on southern Ukraine, on fire. Three people were killed in this blast, Russian authorities said.
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Moscow refrained from assigning blame, but the blast prompted celebratory responses from Ukrainian officials, though they made no direct claim of responsibility.
The blast on this road- rail route occurred on Putin’s 70th birthday.
Crimean Bridge: history
The bridge was constructed by Russia after the annexation of Crimea by the nation which took place in 2014. One of Vladimir Putin’s most prestigious projects, the Kerch Bridge, as it’s also called, served as a logistics route for the Russian military during the Russian annexation of Crimea.
This strategic move to construct the bridge was Russia’s attempt to integrate Ukrainian territory within mainland Russia. It holds a symbolic significance. It is meant to reflect Russia’s ‘physical attachment’ to Ukraine.
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The task of construction of this significant bridge was assigned to Arkady Rotenberg’s Stroygazmontazh in a multi billion dollar deal. The construction process proceeded in February of 2016. The road bridge was inaugurated by Vladimir Putin on 15 May 2018 while the rail bridge was on 23 December 2019.
The bridge was named the “Crimean Bridge” after an online vote in December 2017. “Kerch Bridge” and “Reunification Bridge” were the second and third most popular choices, respectively.
The cost of this project is an astounding 3.7 billion dollars. The bridge is around 12 miles (19 kilometres) long, and it stretches across Kerch Strait between the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia and the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in Ukraine.
Purpose of the Kerch Bridge
It is a critical route for supplying Crimea with military supplies. Over the last few months, Russian military convoys have used this bridge for supplying armour and fuel.
If the Russian military is unable to access this bridge, the supply to Russian forces across southern Ukraine would become insubstantial.
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