The previous month, Ukraine’s intelligence agency, SBU, acknowledged accountability for an assault on the Russian-constructed Kerch strait Bridge that links Crimea to the mainland. They stated that the attack was carried out using sea drones controlled from a distance.
Vasyl Malyuk, the director of the organization, informed CNN that the unmanned aerial vehicle, named “Sea Baby”, was created internally and that two of them were equipped with 850kg explosive warheads when they detonated, causing damage to the road and railway bridge on July 17. Two individuals lost their lives in the assault.
Russia’s military has been reported by Kyiv to be using a tanker and a Russian warship for fuel supply, as well as conducting recent attacks on these vessels. Using these drones, we have successfully targeted the Crimean bridge.
Kyiv has been reluctant to accept responsibility for attacks on Russian infrastructure, whether in Crimea, Russia itself, or elsewhere, until now. However, the intelligence chief was eager to emphasize the maritime danger posed to its adversary.
Malyuk, speaking in the television interview, expressed, “Particularly for our adversaries, it will be thrilling, even within the waters of the Black Sea, we are actively pursuing several intriguing operations.”
In 2014, Moscow occupied Crimea and took particular pride in the construction of a 12-mile crossing, the Kerch Strait Bridge. The completion of this bridge was considered a miracle, and President Vladimir Putin of Russia was filmed visiting the bridge after its completion, praising the workers.
Although Chief Intelligence declined to provide evidence, Malyuk also claimed responsibility for the apparent truck bombing last October, which also damaged the chief intelligence’s position. It seems that this attack was a repeated target for Ukraine, as it made a strategic connection between mainland Russia and Crimea.
The SBU released a video showing the immediate impact of two bombings, supplied by other CCTV videos. One of the Baby Sea drones struck a concrete support pillar of the bridge, moments before a video from the pilot’s viewpoint was released.
Russian authorities stated that two blasts occurred at approximately 3am on July 17th, resulting in injuries to their 14-year-old daughter and the fatalities of a couple hailing from the Belgorod region who were escorting her to Crimea.
SBU stated that the bridge has once again been destroyed due to a bombing, but Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack this time. Although the rail services to the occupied peninsula were not affected, the video showed that a section of the road bridge was severed in the assault, causing a halt in traffic.
On Wednesday, Russia’s Ministry of Defense also stated that it had shot down three Ukrainian drones in the Kaluga region using unmanned aerial vehicles. The ministry reported that Ukraine had launched an attack on objects in the region using these drones.
Ukraine’s deputy defense minister Hanna Mailar also mentioned that Ukraine had freed the village of Urozhaine, located seven miles to the south of Velyka Novosilka, as a component of its counteroffensive on the southern front. The forces of Kyiv make gradual progress through a river valley due to the ongoing conflict that had been occurring in the region for a few weeks.
Several hours later, a video from the marine brigade of Ukraine’s 35th unit emerged, declaring the freedom of the village.
Russian drones struck warehouses in the town of Reni, located near the Romanian border, overnight, in an uncertain security situation in the country, as the south locations of Ukraine are increasingly used for transporting supplies and grain.
Ukraine also declared that the first merchant vessel to utilize a temporary maritime corridor had departed, as a military objective would be classified as commercial shipping and Russia withdrew from a grain agreement last month, following the establishment of the temporary corridor. The Bosphorus strait was en route to Odesa.
The container ship, Joseph Schulte, is sailing under the Hong Kong flag, with 30,000 tonnes of cargo, including food, Ukrainian officials said.
The barge, which was eventually empty, continued its journey and left the Russians behind. On Sunday, the Russian navy fired warning shots as the barge, heading from Turkey to the Ukrainian port of Izmail on the Danube, was boarded.