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The Crimean Bridge on Saturday: A heavy explosion damaged the bridge
Photo: Uncredited / dpa
The Crimean Bridge is more than an important transport link between the Russian-annexed peninsula and mainland Russia.
It is a prestige object of Vladimir Putin, after the annexation of Crimea it was completed in a hurry.
The violent explosion that caused parts of the bridge to collapse on Saturday morning should hit the Russian ruler all the harder.
The importance for the Kremlin is not only made clear by the reactions from Moscow, where a "tough" answer is demanded.
Putin himself reacted with a decree instructing the FSB secret service to tighten protective measures for the Crimean bridge, among other things.
The "powers to organize and coordinate protective measures" would be transferred to the FSB.
At this point it gets interesting.
So far, according to Duma deputy Alexander Chinstein, the protection of the bridge has been divided into three parts.
The Ministry of Defense was responsible for surveillance of the airspace and the National Guard "Rosgwardija" for sea surveillance.
And the automobile and railway line was controlled by the Ministry of Transport.
Russians supposedly responsible themselves?
The Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak had previously put forward a daring thesis.
"It's worth noting that by all indications, the truck that exploded entered the bridge from the Russian side," he explained.
"So the answers should be sought in Russia." And: "All of this clearly points to a trail to Russia."
According to Russian sources, a truck exploded on the bridge.
As a result, seven tank wagons of a diesel freight train caught fire further away on the bridge.
As a result, parts of the bridge highway fell into the sea.
At least three people are said to have been killed.
In fact, according to Russian information, the owner of the truck could be identified.
Russian investigators said it was a resident of the southern Russian region of Krasnodar, without naming the man.
Accordingly, investigations were initiated at his residence, the documented route of the truck will be checked.
Podoljak continued on Twitter.
"Seriously now," he wrote: the Russian secret service FSB and the notorious Wagner group were trying to overthrow the leadership of the Defense Ministry.
What Podoliak is implying: The Russian Ministry of Defense could be responsible for the explosion in order to hold the FSB responsible for future defeats in southern Ukraine.
The FSB could therefore be accused of not having prevented the attack.
The leadership in Moscow has always emphasized that the bridge is safe despite the military offensive in Ukraine.
The Russian anti-terrorist committee initially gave no information about the incident.
The President of the regional parliament set up by Russia in Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, spoke of a blow by "Ukrainian vandals".
hba/dpa/AFP
