Vladimir Putin calls Crimean bridge explosion an ‘act of terrorism’

Vladimir Putin has called the Crimean bridge explosion an 'act of terrorism'.

Russian officials say the incident was caused by a lorry explosion, which has damaged a key supply artery for Moscow’s faltering war effort in southern Ukraine.

The Russian President has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the blast that destroyed the main mode of transport between Crimea and the Russian mainland.

He added: "There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure.

"This was devised, carried out and ordered by the Ukrainian special services."

Putin had been briefed on the incident by Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee.

Bastrykin revealed the truck that was carrying the explosives had been through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia, Krasnodar and other locations, according to ABC.

Their investigation has concluded that Russian citizens helped Ukrainian special forces carry out the attack.

The blast on the road led to oil tankers on the rail section also catching fire, before a number of sections on the road eventually collapsed.

While Ukrainian officials have issued messages of support for the explosion, the country hasn't taken responsibility for it over the weekend.

Peter Cavanagh / Alamy Stock Photo

An adviser to President Zelenskyy, Mykhailo Podolyak, said it was just 'the beginning'.

On Twitter, he wrote: "Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled."

Ukraine's Defence Ministry has also taken to Twitter, comparing the explosion to the sinking of Russia's Moska missile cruiser in April.

It read: "Two notorious symbols of Russian power in Ukrainian Crimea have gone down. What's next in line?"

Crimea, was annexed by Russia in 2014 in the aftermath of the Ukrainian Revolution, though the legality of the annexation has long been disputed.

The bridge was opened by President Putin in 2018, and is of significant importance to the Kremlin. Russia has used the bridge to move military equipment, ammunition, and Russian personnel to battlefields in southern Ukraine.

Russia's Energy Ministry said Crimea has enough fuel for 15 days, adding that it was working on ways to replenish stock. However, authorities have suspended passenger traffic across the bridge until further notice.