Kyiv [Ukraine], July 17 : A Ukrainian security official has claimed that Kyiv is responsible for an attack on the bridge linking the annexed Crimean Peninsula to the Russian mainland, CNN reported.
The Kerch Bridge, a nearly 12-mile crossing, is the longest in Europe and holds huge strategic and symbolic importance for Moscow.
Monday’s attack comes as the second attack on the bridge since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.
A source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) told CNN that the attack was a joint operation of the SBU and Ukraine’s naval forces. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because they had not received authorization to speak on the record, as per CNN.
According to Russian-appointed officials, two people were killed and their daughter was wounded in the attack, according to Russian-appointed officials.
Two strikes were reportedly carried out at around 3 am local time on Monday (8 pm ET Sunday), damaging part of the bridge, according to the Telegram channel Grey Zone, which supports the Wagner mercenary group led by Yevgeny Prigozhin.
As per CNN, explosions were heard at around 3:04 am and 3:20 am local time, Grey Zone and popular Crimean blogger ‘TalipoV Online Z’ said on Telegram.
CNN is, however, unable to verify those reports.
Russia’s Belgorod region’s governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov, confirmed that two people were killed and a third person was injured in the incident.
Gladkov said a girl was injured and her parents were killed while travelling in the car that was damaged in the incident, according to CNN.
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