Explosion on the Crimean Bridge: FSB detain 8 people and accuse Ukrainian intelligence and its head of orchestrating it

STANISLAV POHORILOV – WEDNESDAY, 12 OCTOBER 2022, 09:13

Russia’s FSB has reported on an investigation into the explosion on the Crimean Bridge. A total of 8 people have been detained and, according to the investigators, the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and Kyrylo Budanov, its head, are responsible for orchestrating the explosion.

Source: Russian Kremlin-aligned news agency RIA Novosti

Quote: "Five Russian citizens, along with three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia, who participated in the preparation of the crime, have been detained as part of the criminal investigation of the explosion on the Crimean Bridge."

Details: The FSB, in conjunction with the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, has reportedly come to the conclusion that the Chief Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, its head Kyrylo Budanov and its employees and agents were the "organisers" of the explosion on the Crimean Bridge.

According to Russian special services, an explosive device was camouflaged using rolls of polyethylene film on 22 pallets with a total weight of over 22 tonnes and sent from the Odesa Seaport to the Bulgarian city of Ruse in early August. Citizens of Ukraine, Georgia and a citizen of Armenia were allegedly involved in organising the shipment.

FSB claims that the cargo was shipped from Bulgaria to the port of Poti in Georgia, and then to Armenia. Mykhailo Tsiurkalo (born 1975), Denys Kovach (1979) and Roman Solomko (1971), all citizens of Ukraine, Sandro Inosaridze, a citizen of Georgia, a broker called Levan and Armenian citizen Artur Terchanian (1985) were allegedly involved in the process.

Russian security services claim that Volodymyr Zlob, another citizen of Ukraine, was also involved in the preparations for the bombing.

Vladimir Solovyov, a Russian propagandist, has called Kyrylo Budanov "target number one" on his Telegram-channel.

Background:

• On the morning of 8 October, it was revealed that a large fire had broken out on the railway line of the Crimean Bridge. The occupying authorities in Crimea claimed that a truck had allegedly exploded on the Crimean bridge. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Konstantinov, the so-called head of the Crimean Parliament, said that the road surface on the Crimean Bridge had been damaged by "Ukrainian vandals".
• Later, Russian media published a video of the explosion on the Crimean Bridge.
• Ukrainska Pravda Sources reported that the Security Service of Ukraine was responsible for blowing up the Crimean bridge on 8 October.
• Later the occupiers claimed that car and bus traffic had resumed across the Crimean Bridge.

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