Ukraine vows to demolish Europe's longest bridge 'this year'

Earlier this week, Neizhpapa gave a lengthy interview to Aleksandr Gordon, a Ukrainian journalist wanted by Moscow for allegedly spreading disinformation about the Russian military and inciting terrorist activities. During the conversation, Gordon wondered whether it was fair to describe the 19-km-long bridge as “deadly.” The navy chief agreed with the description, noting that he knew how to destroy the vital infrastructure. Asked when exactly Europe’s longest bridge would collapse, Neizhpapa replied: “I don’t think we will have to wait long. This year, for sure.”

Vehicles travel along the Crimea Bridge. Photo: Sputnik

The Crimean Bridge was built between 2016 and 2018 and is the only rail and transport link between the peninsula and mainland Russia. However, Moscow opened a large viaduct to Crimea after the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions and the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics voted to formally join the Russian state in the fall of 2022.
Following the outbreak of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine, many officials and commanders, including President Vladimir Zelensky, have threatened to destroy the Crimean Bridge, arguing that it is vital to the Russian military. The structure has been repeatedly targeted by naval missiles and drones, but most of those attacks have been successfully repelled.
In October 2022, a truck loaded with explosives exploded while traveling along the bridge, killing three people and causing damage that will take months to repair. In July last year, an unmanned boat exploded under one of the sections of the structure, killing two civilians and orphaning a 14-year-old girl.
At the time, President Putin described the attack as "brutal" and pointless from a military perspective, explaining that the bridge was no longer used to transport combat equipment and ammunition.