Russians claim to launch reverse traffic on Crimean Bridge
The Russian Ministry of Transport has announced that it launched two-way traffic on one lane of the Crimean (Kerch) Bridge at night on 18 July.
Source: Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation on Telegram
Quote: "Vehicle traffic on the Crimean (Kerch) Bridge is opened in reverse mode in the rightmost lane in the Taman − Kerch direction."
Російський Мінтранс заявив, що запустив двосторонній рух однією смугою Кримського мосту вночі 18 липня. Відео РБК pic.twitter.com/I9VbxnJuRg
— Українська правда ✌️ (@ukrpravda_news) July 18, 2023
Previously: The Russian occupation authorities stated that they initially planned to launch the reverse mode of the Crimean Bridge in one lane. On 17 July, at midnight, the first test trucks were to be launched, and if all went well, passenger cars were to be allowed to drive through at 01:00.
Russians also announced that they were going to launch two-way traffic on one side of the Crimean Bridge on 15 September, and on the other side in November, with one span of the bridge beyond repair.
Background:
- On the morning of 17 July, Sergei Aksyonov, so-called Head of the Russian administration in occupied Crimea, said that an "emergency" had happened on the Crimean Bridge and the bridge had therefore been closed to traffic. Russian Telegram channels reported that a span on the bridge collapsed.
- Ukrainska Pravda sources reported that the overnight attack on the Crimean Bridge was a special operation by the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Navy. It was noted that the bridge was attacked using surface drones. Later, the theory that two surface drones were used was also mentioned by the Russian propaganda outlet RIA Novosti, citing the National Anti-Terrorist Committee of the Russian Federation.
- Russian media have previously asserted that the Crimean Bridge is guarded from the sky by fighter jets and underwater by divers and "combat dolphins".
- Russian dictator Vladimir Putin promised that Russia would take revenge for the attack on the Crimean Bridge.
Read also: New satellite images show damage to Crimean Bridge
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