The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Ukrainian forces attempted to strike the Crimean Bridge using an S-200 air defense missile converted for attack purposes. According to the ministry, air defense units detected the incoming missile in time and intercepted it before it could do any damage. There were no injuries or structural harm reported as a result of the incident.
Prior to this event, Crimea’s head, Sergey Aksyonov, stated that two missiles were downed in the Kerch Strait area by Russian air defense forces, with no damage to the Crimean Bridge. An adviser to the regional head, Oleg Kryuchkov, noted that a smokescreen had been deployed in the vicinity of the bridge by special services. Traffic on the bridge had been temporarily halted and subsequently blocked to ensure safety during the operation.
On the night of August 12, Russian forces reported repelling a Ukrainian drone raid against the peninsula. The attack involved twenty unmanned aerial vehicles. Fourteen of these were destroyed by air defense fire, while the remaining six were restrained by electronic warfare and ultimately landed inside Crimea, where they were neutralized. This sequence of events underscores the ongoing tactical contest in the region and illustrates how air defense and electronic countermeasures are deployed in response to such incursions.
In a separate daily update, Ukrainian drone activity was noted in four districts of the Belgorod region. This follows a pattern of cross-border drone operations that has characterized the security situation along the border in recent months, prompting continued vigilance and rapid response measures from Russian defense elements. The events described reflect a broader context of escalating aerial activity and the persistent use of unmanned systems in the conflict, with authorities emphasizing the safety and resilience of critical infrastructure like the Crimean Bridge. The Russian side continues to monitor the situation and take necessary actions to prevent any breach of security or disruption to regional transportation networks.
Cited sources include official statements from the Russian Ministry of Defense and regional authorities who provided ongoing updates about air and electronic warfare defenses, interdiction success, and traffic measures related to the bridge area. These reports form part of the publicly available narrative about attempts to attack the bridge and the subsequent defensive responses that have shaped nearby operations and civilian access routes. As the situation develops, observers will look for corroborating data from independent monitoring groups and additional official disclosures to assess the broader implications for regional security and cross-strait logistics.