Europe 1 with AFP 10:20 a.m., October 08, 2022, modified at 10:20 a.m., October 08, 2022

A violent fire broke out on the Crimean Bridge, linking annexed Crimea and Russia, blocking car and rail traffic on the bridge.

According to the first elements, a car bomb would be at the origin of the disaster.

The incident comes even as Ukraine continues to reclaim territory from Russian troops.

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A large fire broke out this Saturday morning on the Crimean bridge, symbol of the annexation of the eponymous Ukrainian peninsula to Russia.

A car bomb is believed to be the cause of the explosion, damaging two lanes of traffic.

The fire would then have spread to railway tanks.

An incident which occurs even as Ukraine announces that it has liberated nearly 2,500 km2 during the last counter-offensive.

Information to remember:

  • A fire took place on the Crimean Bridge, blocking car and rail traffic on the structure

  • A car bomb is believed to be the cause of the incident.

    Russia announces opening a criminal investigation

  • The IMF has announced the release of 1.3 billion dollars for Ukraine

  • Ukraine announced on Friday that it had taken over nearly 2,500 km² of territory during a final counter-offensive.

a fire caused by a car bomb paralyzes the Russian Crimean bridge

A car bomb started a large fire on the Crimean Bridge, key infrastructure and symbol of the annexation of the eponymous Ukrainian peninsula, the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee announced on Saturday, without immediately accusing Ukraine.

This bridge, built at great expense on the orders of Vladimir Putin, is used in particular to transport military equipment from the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.

pic.twitter.com/0CGwMLF6Yo

— Anastasiia Lapatina (@lapatina_) October 8, 2022

"Today at 06:07 (03:07 GMT) on the road part of the Crimean bridge (...) a car bomb exploded, which caused the fire of seven railway tanks that went to Crimea “, said the committee, quoted by the Russian agencies.

The Kremlin spokesman told the Ria Novosti agency that Vladimir Putin had ordered the formation of a government commission to establish the facts.

According to the Anti-Terrorism Committee, two road lanes are damaged, but the arch of the bridge is not affected.

The head of the Crimean assembly, the regional parliament installed by Russia, Vladimir Konstantinov denounced a coup "of the Ukrainian vandals".

If Ukraine is the cause of the fire and explosion on the Crimean bridge, it would be a snub to Russia that such crucial infrastructure so far from the front could be damaged by Ukrainian forces.

Russia opens an investigation

Russia on Saturday opened a criminal investigation into the blast that severely damaged the major bridge linking Moscow's annexed Crimea to the mainland, and which it says was caused by a vehicle explosion.

The Russian Investigative Committee said it had "opened a criminal investigation in connection with the incident on the Crimean Bridge".

He specified that the explosion took place after "the explosion of a truck".

IMF releases $1.3 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will release $1.3 billion in emergency financing for Ukraine through its new aid instrument to deal with food shocks, the institution announced in a press release on Friday.

This new envelope aims to "support Ukraine in the face of its urgent needs in terms of balance of payments" but also to "play a catalytic role for future financial support from donors and creditors of Ukraine", explained the IMF.

"The scale and intensity of the war launched by Russia against Ukraine more than seven months ago has caused considerable human suffering and strongly affected the Ukrainian economy", estimated the institution in its press release, adding: "GDP is expected to decline by 35% in 2022 compared to 2021 and financing needs remain very significant."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the IMF assistance earlier in the day on Twitter, adding that "funds will arrive in Ukraine as of today" and thanking Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and the IMF Executive Board. , "for their support".

nearly 2,500 km2 of territory liberated in the last counter-offensive

The Ukrainian army has taken over nearly 2,500 km2 of territory controlled by Russian forces during its last counter-offensive launched at the end of September, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Friday.

"This week alone, our soldiers have liberated 776 km2 of territory in the east of our country and 29 localities, including six in the Lugansk region. In total, 2,434 km2 of our territory and 96 localities have already been liberated since the beginning of this offensive operation", he welcomed in his daily speech published on social networks.

In recent days, kyiv troops have made a second major push, in the Kharkiv region (northeast) but also in the south, near Kherson, a city controlled by the Russians.