Russia said on July 18 that road traffic has partially reopened on a major bridge that connects Moscow-annexed Crimea with Russia over the Kerch Strait after it had been damaged by at least one explosion the previous day.
Russia has blamed Ukraine for the incident, in which two people were killed and their daughter badly wounded, and said on July 18 that it struck facilities in Ukraine's Odesa and Mykolayiv in revenge for the attack on the bridge.
President Vladimir Putin, who has made the bridge a prestige project following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, had vowed "a response" for what Russia called a "terrorist attack."
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Moscow Blames Kyiv For Deadly Crimea Bridge Blast
Ukraine did not claim responsibility for the attack, but Ukrainian media reported that security services had deployed two maritime drones to carry out the operation.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, who has been put in charge of the repair works, wrote on Telegram early on July 18 that "motor transport on the Crimea Bridge has been restored in reverse mode on the most outer right lane."
Khusnullin said one part of the road on the bridge was destroyed and will have to be rebuilt, but that there is no structural damage to the bridge pylons. He added the bridge will be completely repaired by November 1.
The damage caused to the bridge, the only road connecting Crimea to Russia's mainland, could have an impact on Moscow's ability to supply its troops in southern Ukraine, and highlights how Russian infrastructure remains vulnerable to drones -- small, fast, remote-controlled boats packed with explosives.
On July 17, Putin demanded proposals on ensuring security of the bridge, which already had to be repaired after an attack in October.
Earlier this month, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar appeared to acknowledge Ukraine was involved in the October attack, saying in a social media post marking the 500th day of the war that "273 days ago, [we] launched the first strike on the Crimean bridge to disrupt Russian logistics."
SEE ALSO: Crimean Beaches 'Nearly Empty' Amid Russian Military BuildupThe second attack on the bridge also amounted to a blow to Moscow's prestige and to the annexed region's tourist industry.
Adding to the problems faced by would-be Russian tourists, bad weather early on July 18 prompted the suspension of ferry services between the occupied region and Russia.