Russia Working Fast To Restore Blown Bridge To Crimea

A new section of the Crimean Bridge was being lowered into place on November 8.

One month earlier, an explosion believed to be from a truck bomb caused heavy damage to road and railway sections of the bridge. 

The road-and-rail bridge was damaged in a powerful blast on October 8. Ukrainian authorities applauded the attack but have not publicly claimed responsibility.

Russia built the bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which it seized from Ukraine in 2014. President Vladimir Putin opened it himself  with great fanfare by driving a truck across it in 2018.

Following the blast early in the morning of October 8, traffic was temporarily suspended, but by the evening, buses and cars were permitted to travel in alternate directions on still-intact lanes, while larger transport vehicles traveled by ferry.

Moscow claims that the explosion, which killed three people, was orchestrated by Ukrainian special services.

Russia launched missile strikes across Ukraine on October 10, reportedly in retaliation. At least 19 people were killed in a number of cities.

The bridge is considered essential for supplying Crimea, where the port of Sevastopol serves as the headquarters for the Russian Black Sea Fleet. 

Russian officials said it would take seven hours to transport a bridge section from the site of its construction to the crossing and more than 500 people would be involved.

The new section in transit on November 7.

The 19-kilometer bridge over the Kerch strait is believed to have cost $3.6 billion and was built by a firm belonging to Arkady Rotenberg, a childhood friend of Putin and one of Russia's wealthiest oligarchs.

Illustrations of the bridge explosion have been used to raise money for Ukraine's war effort. Recently a new stamp entitled "Crimean Bridge, An Encore" was released.