Ukraine: Vladimir Putin rode on the Crimean bridge, partially destroyed in October

Europe 1 with AFP 4:08 p.m., December 05, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the partially destroyed Crimean Bridge in October, his first visit to the annexed peninsula since the start of the offensive against Ukraine, the Kremlin announced on Monday.

The Russian presidency has published a video showing Vladimir Putin driving a Mercedes brand vehicle driving on this bridge which connects Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula annexed in 2014 by Moscow, to Russian territory.

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The viaduct, which spans the Kerch Strait, was damaged in October by a powerful explosion attributed by the Russian authorities to a truck booby-trapped by the Ukrainian secret services.

The explosion of the bridge, an electric shock in Russia

"Vladimir Putin drove on the road to the Crimean Bridge, which was repaired after the explosion in October, and spoke with workers," the Kremlin said in a statement.

During the trip, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khousnullin, visible in the front passenger seat, “reported to the head of state on the progress of repair work,” the Kremlin added.

This is Vladimir Putin's first trip to Crimea and to a site directly affected by the offensive he ordered in Ukraine since the start of the conflict at the end of February.

The explosion of the Crimean bridge, which killed three people, caused a shock in Russia: the fact that such a crucial infrastructure and so far from the front could be damaged represents indeed a snub for Moscow.

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