Russia accuses Ukraine of attack on Kerch Bridge, two dead

The attack, which took place in the early hours of Monday morning, resulted in the death of two people, according to Russian officials.

The Russian-installed head of Crimea's parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, blamed the attack on the "terrorist regime in Kyiv".

He claimed that Ukraine had committed a "crime" by targeting what he called "civilian" infrastructure.

The incident was described as an "emergency" by Russian officials.

The attack on the Crimean Bridge was carried out by the Ukrainian security services and the Ukrainian Navy, according to a source from Ukraine's security service (SBU).

However, Ukraine has not officially claimed responsibility for the blasts.

The Governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, announced that the bridge had been closed early Monday, but did not provide a reason for the closure.

The extent of the damage caused by the attack was not immediately clear.

The Kerch Bridge, which was opened in 2018, is a key supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.

It was also damaged in October by a truck bomb and required months of repairs before resuming full service.

The Crimean Bridge is strategically important because it links Russia's Krasnodar region with the Crimean Peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia from Ukraine in 2014.

It also has huge symbolic importance for Russia, which built the bridge at a cost of around $3.7 billion.

The bridge was the physical expression of Russian President Vladimir Putin's objective to take over Ukraine and bind it to Russia forever.

The attack on the Crimean Bridge is likely to escalate tensions between Russia and Ukraine, who have been in conflict since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea.

The incident is also expected to further strain relations between Russia and the Western nations, who have imposed sanctions on Russia over its actions in Ukraine.