A massive explosion was reported on the Kerch bridge in Crimea

CNN
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A fuel tank exploded early Saturday morning on Europe’s longest bridge, which links Russia to the annexed Crimea, according to Russian state media and footage on social media.

Pictures of the Kerch Bridge posted on social media apparently show that part of the car road and the railway bridge have fallen into the water below. Flames were seen burning from the railway cars above.

The tanker was located on a 19-kilometre (11-mile) bridge – which is strategically significant as it connects Russia’s Krasnodar region to Russia-annexed Crimea.

The bridge spans the Kerch Strait that connects the Black Sea to the Sea of ​​Azov.

The source of the explosion is still unclear.

In an interview in August, a senior Ukrainian military commander said the Kerch Bridge was a legitimate target.

“This is a necessary measure in order to deprive them (Russia) of the opportunity to provide reserves and reinforce their forces from Russian territory,” Major General Dmytro Marchenko said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.

In a post on Telegram, the adviser to the head of the Russian administration for occupied Crimea, Oleg Krenchkov, said that work was “underway to put out the fire”, adding that “the freight arches of the bridge were not damaged.”

The Kerch bridge State news agency RIA Novosti reported at the bridge’s opening in 2018 that the bridge is capable of handling 40,000 cars per day and transporting 14 million passengers and 13 million tons of cargo annually.

After the bridge was opened, the United States condemned its construction as illegal.

“Russia’s construction of the bridge serves as a reminder of Russia’s continued willingness to violate international law,” a statement from the US State Department said.

“The bridge represents not only an attempt by Russia to consolidate its illegal capture and occupation of Crimea, but also impedes navigation by limiting the volume of ships that can cross the Kerch Strait, which is the only way to reach the territorial waters of Ukraine in the Sea of ​​Azov.”

This is an evolving story. More to track.