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Ukraine is reportedly planning a new strike on the Kerch Bridge in Crimea , Oleksiy Neizhpapa, a vice admiral serving as the commander of the Ukrainian Navy, told U.K. newspaper The Guardian .
Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation for comment via email outside of business hours. Why It Matters The battle for Crimea has been a focal point of the war, as fighting over the territory began in 2014, after Russia's illegal annexation. Moscow and Kyiv have had a historically complex relationship regarding Crimea.
Russia previously annexed the peninsula in 1783 under Catherine the Great as part of the Russian Empire, and Crimea gained its independence with Ukraine in 1991. The Black Sea is also a key resource for Russia , as it serves as a base for Moscow's naval fleets and a critical transit hub for Russian gas and oil to European customers through the TurkStream pipeline. What To Know Neizhpapa told The Guardian that he is hopeful that Kyiv will be able to destroy the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea with Russia.
He added: "The Russians understand we are actively discussing a third operation. There is a saying: 'God loves a trinity.'" The commander of the Ukrainian Navy also said that Ukraine's two previous strikes on the bridge damaged the road and rail structure, and Russian forces were no longer able to transport heavy wagons across the railway bridge.
Neizhpapa spoke about Ukraine's efforts and success in "independently free[ing]" the northwest Black Sea. He said that Kyiv had gained "fire control" of the Sea of Azov. Neizhpapa added that his goal is to make sure international cargo ships can take goods to foreign ports through the busy grain corridor.
Noting that exports had returned to levels not seen since the beginning of the war, Neizhpapa said: "This is good for the economy. It's one of the successes of Ukraine's war against Russia." He added: "The corridor works all the time.
We've destroyed 100 floating mines. It's a big operation, which nobody talks about and nobody really sees. Our task is to guarantee safe passage.
" Grain exports are a key facet of Ukraine's economy, as the Ukrainians are one of the world's biggest suppliers of crops, including sunflower oil, barley, maize and wheat. Speaking about the war with Russia, Neizhpapa said that it has become a "technological race dominated by drones." After Russia had developed effective ways to counter sea drone raids, Ukrainian engineers added "anti-aircraft guns to shoot down helicopters—and FPV (first-person view) drones.
" The Kerch Bridge was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 to serve as a critical supply route for Russian forces, just four years after Moscow illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula. Since the war began, the near-12-mile road and rail bridge has been crucial to sustaining Moscow's military offensives in southern Ukraine. Ukraine first struck the vital structure in October 2022, and once more in July 2023, which has left it "crumbling" and "living in its final days," according to Atesh, a pro-Kyiv military partisan group of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars.
Since Kyiv's attacks on the bridge , Moscow has tried to implement repairs, fortifying it with underwater barriers and reportedly redeploying air defense systems, including the Pantsir-S1 air defense system , to shield it. However, the group Atesh previously said that the bridge's structural elements are degrading. Newsweek was not able to independently verify these claims.
Neizhpapa is not the first Ukrainian to hint at plans for another strike on the bridge in Crimea, as a spokesperson for Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) said in April 2024 that another strike on the bridge was "inevitable." What People Are Saying In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Neizhpapa previously wrote : "The Ukrainian Navy is actively working to overcome the consequences of irresponsible and aggressive Russian activities. The priorities are to create conditions for the safe movement of ships along the sea corridor, clean up port infrastructure, etc.
" In an interview with the Russian news outlet RIA Novosti regarding Ukraine's threat of a third strike on the Kerch Bridge, Maria Zakharova, foreign affairs spokeswoman, said: "With such an attitude toward religion, I think the OCU [new Orthodox Church of Ukraine] will soon acquire their relics." Regarding Crimea, in an interview with CNN in 2023, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said : "We cannot imagine Ukraine without Crimea. And while Crimea is under the Russian occupation, it means only one thing: the war is not over yet.
" What Happens Next A third strike on the Kerch Bridge by Ukrainian forces could escalate tensions with Russia, prolonging peace negotiations..
