Russian authorities announced on Friday the completion of repair work on the Crimean Bridge, which connects Russia to the annexed Ukrainian peninsula and was severely damaged in October 2022 by a booby-trap truck explosion that Moscow blamed on Ukrainian intelligence services. .

The Kerch Bridge, which connects Russia with Crimea, has reopened for automobile trafficPhoto: Kostyantyn Mikhalchevsky / Sputnik / Profimedia

“Traffic on the Crimean Bridge railway has been restored today,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin said in Telegram, EFE and Agerpres reported. In his address, he highlighted the efforts of workers who worked to restore the operation of this “major infrastructure target” of Russia earlier than expected. The road part of the bridge was opened for traffic at the end of February.

The sabotage, which severed this Russian land link with the annexed Ukrainian peninsula, was a severe blow to Moscow, especially as it uses the bridge over the Kerch Strait to supply its troops in Crimea. In response, after the October attack, Russia regularly bombarded Ukrainian energy infrastructure with missiles and drones.