Occupation authorities shut down Crimean Bridge second night in a row

Russian proxy authorities in occupied Crimea blocked traffic on the Crimean Bridge in the early hours of March 4.

The closure marks the second consecutive night that occupation authorities shut down the bridge. Officials blocked traffic overnight on March 3, amid reports of explosions in Feodosia.

The Russian Defense Ministry later claimed that Russian forces intercepted 38 Ukrainian drones over occupied Crimea during the night.

Authorities did not provide a reason for the March 4 traffic closure.

The bridge, also called the Kerch Bridge, connects the Russian mainland with the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. It is a critical supplies and transport route for Russian forces in Crimea and mainland Ukraine, and has been the target of repeated attacks following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces have intensified attacks on targets in occupied Crimea, particularly against Russia's Black Sea Fleet, over the past months. In an interview with Fox News released Feb. 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky said more "surprises" were in store for Russia's Black Sea Fleet.