Dhe heavy explosion on the Crimean bridge, which is important for Russia, has raised international fears of a further escalation of the conflict. But Moscow failed to provide a quick and clear answer, at least on Saturday. The Ukrainian leadership is gloating without officially accepting responsibility for the alleged attack. Traffic over the bridge resumed to a limited extent in the evening.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy left open his country’s involvement in the explosion. In Ukraine it was mostly sunny and warm, “unfortunately cloudy in Crimea, although warm there too,” he said in his daily video address, alluding to the morning detonation. He did not go into detail about the incident. He then asked the Russians once more to surrender and flee. This is her best option to stay alive. There will be a future without occupiers in Ukraine. “All over our territory, especially in Crimea,” he said.
The Crimean bridge, which is strategically and symbolically important for Russia, was shaken by a heavy explosion early on Saturday morning. Videos show major destruction. The exact background is still unclear. According to Russian sources, a truck exploded. As a result, according to Russian investigators, seven tank wagons with diesel caught fire further away. In addition, parts of the bridge highway fell into the sea. At least three people are said to have been killed.
“Happy Birthday Mr President”
Before Zelenskyj, several high-ranking politicians from the Ukrainian president’s circle had already fueled speculation that Kiev was involved in the crime. Ukraine’s Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov posted footage of the partially destroyed structure linking Russia and the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, on Facebook on Saturday. He also posted a video showing Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe singing the birthday song “Happy Birthday, Mr. President” to then-US President John F. Kennedy in 1962. Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated his 70th birthday on Friday.
The adviser to the presidential office, Mykhailo Podoliak, initially tweeted: “Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine.” A few hours later he rowed back with cryptic statements. He portrayed the attack as a competition between the Russian army and the FSB secret service. The FSB was trying to replace the army leadership and was now suddenly struck down because it had overslept the attack on the bridge. “Isn’t it obvious who caused the explosion?” he practiced conspiracy theories.
Putin entrusts secret service with control
Officially, the FSB was not responsible at all. So far, the task has been shared between the Ministry of Defence, the National Guard and the Ministry of Transport. Only after the explosion did Putin instruct the secret service by decree to tighten control over the damaged Crimean bridge. “The FSB will be given powers to organize and coordinate protective measures for the transport route across the Kerch Strait, for the power bridge of the Russian Federation to the Crimea peninsula and the gas pipeline from Krasnodar Territory to Crimea,” the decree said.
It was the first action taken by the Kremlin after the morning’s suspected attack-related explosion. However, Putin did not want to comment publicly. According to official information, he will not speak to the Russians in the next few days either. Such an appearance is not planned, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday. Political observers had considered the president’s speech likely given the severe damage to the bridge. In the past, Moscow had threatened Kyiv with serious consequences in the event of an attempted attack on the object.
New commander in chief and evacuation
The Russian troops in Ukraine, meanwhile, have a new commander after numerous defeats in their war of aggression. The 55-year-old Army General Sergei Surovikin was deployed by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu to lead the “military special operation,” said ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov in Moscow on Saturday. According to commentators, Shoigu is accommodating his critics, who in view of the defeats had called for the troops in Ukraine to be regrouped.
At the same time, the Russian occupiers, under pressure from Ukrainian counter-offensives, are preparing to evacuate tens of thousands of civilians in the southern Ukrainian region of Cherson annexed by Moscow. Among other things, the Russian regions of Krasnodar and Stavropol are ready to take in children and adults, wrote the head of the occupation of Kherson, Vladimir Saldo, on his Telegram channel on Saturday.
According to a report, the European Union wants to train up to 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers in EU countries next winter. The two operational headquarters should be in Germany and Poland, reports the “Welt am Sonntag”, citing high-ranking EU diplomats and corresponding decisions. The mandate for the training mission is initially for two years.