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Crimea bridge: Putin accuses Ukraine of 'terrorism' | Crimea bridge: Putin accuses Ukraine of 'terrorism' |
(32 minutes later) | |
Watch: The moment explosion hits Crimea bridge | |
Watch: The moment explosion hits Crimea bridge | |
Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attacking the bridge to Russian-annexed Crimea, saying that it was an "act of terrorism". | Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of attacking the bridge to Russian-annexed Crimea, saying that it was an "act of terrorism". |
President Putin said Ukraine's intelligence forces had aimed to destroy a critically important piece of Russia's civil infrastructure. | President Putin said Ukraine's intelligence forces had aimed to destroy a critically important piece of Russia's civil infrastructure. |
He was speaking at a meeting with the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin. | He was speaking at a meeting with the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin. |
Officials say three people were killed in the blast on the bridge. | Officials say three people were killed in the blast on the bridge. |
Who - or what - blew up the Crimean bridge? | |
The victims were in a nearby car when a lorry blew up, Russian officials say. | The victims were in a nearby car when a lorry blew up, Russian officials say. |
"There is no doubt, this is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying Russia's critical civilian infrastructure," Mr Putin said. | |
"Its authors, perpetrators and beneficiaries are the security services of Ukraine." | |
The rail and road crossing was opened in 2018 and is a key supply route for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. | The rail and road crossing was opened in 2018 and is a key supply route for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. |
Mr Bastrykin said that citizens of Russia and some foreign states had aided preparations for the attack. | Mr Bastrykin said that citizens of Russia and some foreign states had aided preparations for the attack. |
According to Mr Bastrykin, investigators have established that the truck which they say blew up travelled through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and Krasnodar Territory. | |
He has ordered an investigation into the incident. | |
Ukrainian officials have not indicated that their forces were behind the attack. | |
On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the incident in his nightly address, saying: "Today was not a bad day and mostly sunny on our state's territory." | |
"Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Crimea. Although it was also warm," he added. | |
And a Ukrainian MP told the BBC that regardless of who was responsible for the attack, this was a "big Ukrainian victory and very severe and hard loss for Russia". | |
"The bridge is not destroyed but damaged, but the image of Putin is destroyed, that is the most important thing," Oleksiy Goncharenko said. |