Underwater Assault: Ukraines SBU Strikes Crimean Bridge in Bold Operation

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced on Tuesday that it utilized underwater explosives to target the Crimean Bridge, which connects mainland Russia with the annexed peninsula in the Black Sea.

“The SBU has executed yet another daring and exceptional special operation, hitting the Crimean Bridge for the third time since Russia’s full-scale invasion — this time from below the water,” the agency stated on its Telegram channel.

The explosion reportedly occurred just before 5 a.m. local time, resulting in damage to the pillars’ foundation. The SBU asserted that there were no civilian casualties from the explosion.

While Russian officials have not responded to the bombing, authorities in the annexed Crimea swiftly imposed temporary restrictions on traffic on the bridge following the SBU’s announcement.

Earlier that same day, pro-Kremlin Telegram channels reported that a Ukrainian drone crashed into the Crimean Bridge around 6 a.m. local time. Authorities noted that traffic had been briefly restricted between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m., although they provided no further details.

⚡ Ukraine’s SBU reported causing damage to the Crimean Bridge with an underwater explosion. This marks the third attack on the structure, linking the annexed peninsula to mainland Russia since the onset of Moscow’s invasion.pic.twitter.com/Z7SZBkiJDb

According to the SBU, the operation to detonate the bridge was meticulously planned and executed over several months, with operatives placing an equivalent of 1,100 kilograms of TNT on the bridge’s support pillars.

The SBU released video footage of the explosion, claiming that the bridge now faces “critical damage.” However, The Moscow Times has not independently verified this assertion.

«We have already inflicted damage on the Crimean Bridge twice, in 2022 and 2023. Today, we continued that legacy — this time from underwater,” said SBU Chief Lieutenant General Vasyl Maliuk in the Telegram statement.

“There is no place for illegal Russian infrastructure on Ukrainian land. The Crimean Bridge is a legitimate target, particularly given its role as a major supply route for Russian military forces,” Maliuk added.

Pro-war military bloggers connected to Russia’s Defense Ministry challenged Ukrainian assertions that a bomb was placed at the base of the Crimean Bridge, proposing instead that an underwater drone may have been employed for the attack.