Drone bombing of weapons depot in Crimea triggers major evacuation and closes bridge to Russia

Attack in Crimea, blamed on Ukraine by Russian officials, triggered a massive explosion and prompted the evacuation of civilians within a three-mile radius

The oil store and weapons were targeted in an airstrike (

Image: grab)

Black smoke rises above a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea after a drone bombardment.

The attack, blamed on Ukraine by Russian officials, triggered a massive explosion and prompted the evacuation of civilians within a three-mile radius.

Moscow responded by halting traffic and rail over the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Ukrainian peninsula to Russia and plays a key role in supporting the Kremlin occupying forces.

The drone attack destroyed an oil depot and weapons warehouses in the Krasnohvardiiske region, less than a week after a pre-dawn strike on the bridge about 160 kilometers away.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described the Kerch Bridge – also known as the Crimean Bridge – as a target that needs to be “neutralized”.

Damage to the closed bridge that connects Crimea to Russia is examined by investigators (

Picture:

Russian Commission of Inquiry/UPI/REX/Shutterstock)

The crossing point was opened in 2018, four years after Russia annexed the peninsula.

Monday's Kerch bombing prompted Moscow to abandon a historic deal to protect global grain supplies, with Russian forces resuming their bombardment of Ukrainian ports. This led to a strong...