A Ukrainian security official has claimed responsibility for the Kerch Bridge attack, as per a CNN report. This bridge connected the annexed Crimean peninsula to the Russian mainland. It was both President Vladimir Putin’s personal initiative and an essential supply line for Russia‘s war campaign in Ukraine.

On July 17, at least two residents of the Belgorod region of Russia died amid the “emergency” scenario on the Crimean Bridge. The region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, said on the messaging service Telegram that a mother and father passed away and that their daughter was hurt.

Also Read: Why is Kerch Bridge so important to Russia and Vladimir Putin?

The bridge was attacked on Monday for the second time since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began, after a fuel tanker blew up while passing across it in October.

Both rail and vehicular traffic across the 19-kilometer Kerch Bridge came to a complete stop for around six hours. The head of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, attributed the bridge’s destruction to an attack by the Ukraine military on his Telegram channel. “Tonight the terrorist regime in Kyiv committed a new crime – it attacked the Crimean Bridge,” Konstantinov said. “The railroad track was not damaged by the strike,” Konstantinov added.

Also Read: Russia blames Ukraine for Crimea bridge attack that left two dead

Explosions were heard at 3:04 and 3:20 in the morning local time, according to Grey Zone and well-known Crimean blogger ‘TalipoV Online Z’ on Telegram. These reports haven’t been confirmed yet, though.

According to a source in the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), the SBU and the country’s naval forces collaborated on this attack. Due to the lack of approval to talk on the record, the insider spoke under the condition of anonymity.

Also Read: Traffic at Kerch Bridge halted amid ‘explosion’

As per Sergey Aksenov, the Russia-appointed head of Crimea, emergency personnel and law enforcement have been sent to the scene. Aksenov advised locals as well as visitors to and from Crimea to take a different land route.