Russian proxy authorities in occupied Crimea shut down traffic on the Crimean Bridge in the early hours of March 3, amid reports of explosions in Feodosia.
Authorities announced that vehicle traffic was blocked on the bridge at around 3:40 a.m. local time. Earlier in the night, local Telegram channels reported that residents heard sounds of explosions near an oil depot in Feodosia.
No reason was given for the traffic closure. Russian officials and the Russian Defense Ministry have not yet commented on reports of explosions.
The bridge, also called the Kerch Bridge, connects the Russian mainland with the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Construction on the bridge began after the illegal 2014 annexation and occupation of Crimea, and was completed in 2018.
The 19-kilometer long bridge 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. A Ukrainian missile strike destroyed a Russian landing ship docked at Feodosia in December 2023. Its sister ship was sunk in the Black Sea the morning of Feb. 14 in a joint operation by Ukraine's military intelligence and armed forces.
In an interview with Fox News released Feb. 22, President Volodymyr Zelensky said more "surprises" were in store for Russia's Black Sea Fleet.
