Ukraine’s deputy defense minister, Anna Malyar, acknowledged Kyiv’s involvement in undermining the Crimean Bridge, which sustained damage on October 8, 2022.
On the 500th day of the broader Ukraine conflict, Malyar posted on social media a roundup of actions attributed to Kyiv on various dates during the war.
She noted that it had been 273 days since the first strike aimed at disrupting the Russians’ logistics along the bridge, as she wrote on July 8.
Earlier, Vasyl Malyuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine, spoke about Ukrainian involvement in the attack. In a May interview, he described Kyiv’s “specific events” on the Crimean Bridge and recalled that more than 20 citizens were detained on charges related to involvement in the incident, with each facing specific accusations.
The head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, denied that Ukrainian intelligence services conducted the bridge strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated in October that, to his knowledge, such an order did not originate from Kyiv.
Zelensky charged in Crimea
The Crimean Parliament’s leader, Vladimir Konstantinov, told RIA Novosti that Crimea plans to pursue action to hold Ukraine’s president accountable for what it calls organized terrorist attacks and sabotage on the peninsula.
Konstantinov added that beyond material damage, the focus would be on the terrorist acts attributed to Kyiv, including drone flights to Crimea and operatives involved in attempts to disrupt railway infrastructure and other sabotage. He asserted that saboteurs were deployed against the region and the damage to critical transport links would be pursued in court.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s Foreign Ministry, criticized Kyiv again, describing Ukrainian authorities as a terrorist regime. Zakharova wrote on Telegram that Kyiv had launched a plan to damage the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and suggested that a NATO summit should address the issue, noting that many alliance members would be in the zone of potential harm.
Alexei Chepa, a senior member of Russia’s international affairs committee, stated in a media interview that Ukraine would be held responsible for the Crimean Bridge strike. He added that recognition of specific Ukrainian officials was not necessary to establish accountability, and that those involved would ultimately answer for their actions. Chepa also suggested that Ukrainian statements about the incident had been delayed due to external constraints and that much of the planning and execution involved cooperation with allied intelligence services.
According to Chepa, Kyiv’s public acknowledgement came only after a period during which Western partners were reportedly cautious in allowing remarks about the incident.
What is known about the attack
The Crimean Bridge was hit by a truck-mounted explosive device on October 8, 2022. Two spans of the automobile section suffered extensive damage, the railway segment was affected, and several lives were lost. Vehicle traffic on the bridge resumed by February 2023, while the rail link operates on a single line.
Russian authorities described the incident as a terrorist attack, and a criminal case was opened. On October 12, the security services identified Kyryllo Budanov as the organizer of the bridge explosion. Separately, Ukrainian observers have contested the distribution of responsibility, with some suggesting that domestic security services may have played a more prominent role than other agencies. The incident prompted a broad Russian military response, with strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure commencing shortly after the attack.