Ukraine Bombs Russia’s Crimea Bridge

Ukraine’s security service said it struck the bridge connecting Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, using explosives placed beneath the waterline.

The SBU, Ukraine’s security service, in a statement on Tuesday, said the operation involved 1,100 kilograms (2,420 pounds) of explosives that were detonated in the early morning hours, damaging the underwater supports of the key road-and-rail structure.

The bridge across the Kerch Strait is a vital supply route for Russian military operations in the occupied regions of southern Ukraine.

Russia’s official bridge monitoring outlet confirmed that the bridge was temporarily closed between 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. local time but offered no explanation. It was later reported that the bridge had resumed normal operations.

“This is the third time we’ve targeted the Crimean Bridge—2022, 2023, and now in 2025. This time, we struck from beneath the surface,” the SBU said, adding that the attack took months of planning.

Footage released by the SBU appeared to show a blast near one of the bridge’s support pillars. Reuters confirmed the location based on structural and geographical features, but could not verify when the footage was taken.

However, Russian military bloggers downplayed the strike’s effectiveness and suggested it was carried out by a Ukrainian sea drone.

The underwater attack follows Ukraine’s recent long-range drone strikes on Russian airfields in an operation codenamed “Spider’s Web”, which targeted strategic bomber bases deep inside Russian territory.

The 19-kilometre (12-mile) Crimea Bridge, a major infrastructure project championed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, links mainland Russia to Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.

Built with both road and rail lanes, the bridge was vital during the 2022 Russian invasion, enabling troop and supply movement into southern Ukraine, including the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.