A stark warning has been issued by the Ukrainian partisan movement Atesh, suggesting the Crimean Bridge may soon be struck again. Posting a fresh image of the controversial bridge on its Telegram channel, the group described it as “maybe the last” photo of the structure, with a chilling message: “The fireworks are coming.” The post suggests that the Russian command is increasingly torn between protecting Sevastopol and the bridge that connects occupied Crimea with Russia’s Krasnodar region.
The Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, remains a prime target for Ukraine’s military. Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Oleksii Neizhpapa, confirmed that the bridge is still under scrutiny by Ukraine’s defence forces. Speaking cautiously, he emphasised the importance of maintaining operational secrecy and warned against public declarations of future strikes. “There are no fortresses that cannot be destroyed. There are no borders that cannot be crossed,” he stated, reinforcing Ukraine’s commitment to undermining Russian control in Crimea.
Neizhpapa noted that while the frequency of publicised attacks in Crimea may appear reduced, the targeting of key infrastructure continues. “There are targets in Crimea and in other areas where the enemy is. Targets get hit,” he said. He hinted that many strikes go unreported in the press, with intensity potentially shifting based on strategic priorities in other regions.
The Crimean Bridge has already been successfully targeted twice. The first major strike occurred on 8 October 2022, one day after the Russian dictator turned seventy. That attack involved a truck bomb hidden beneath layers of foil. A second and more advanced assault took place during the night of 16 to 17 July 2023. In that operation, codenamed Sea Baby, Ukraine used unmanned naval drones to severely damage the bridge, exposing vulnerabilities in Russia’s coastal defences.
While the Russian regime has heavily fortified the bridge with air defence systems, naval patrols, and surveillance, it remains a symbol of occupation and a vital logistics route. Destroying or disabling the Crimean Bridge would deliver a severe blow to Russian military operations and supply chains in southern Ukraine.
