Putin’s dream bridge explodes in flames: In 2018, when Putin crossed the Crimea Bridge — the 12-mile span of steel and concrete that connects the peninsula he occupied from Ukraine with the Russian mainland — it was considered a patriotic victory. “People dreamed of building this bridge,” Putin boasted as he led a convoy across the bridge in an orange dump truck adorned with the Russian flag during the Tsar’s reign.
Now, part of the bridge – one of the longest in Europe – has been damaged in the blast and partially submerged in water, in a symbolic strategic blow for Russia.
Ukraine, while not publicly acknowledging the bombing, has publicly committed to attacking the bridge in June, calling it a “number one” target because of its strategic importance, according to The Washington Post’s Maite Fernández Simon and Paul Sonne. The bridge was a vital artery in Moscow’s war effort, transporting troops and weapons from mainland Russia to Crimea.