Continued Fallout from Russia Bridge Explosion
Russian President Putin has accused Ukraine of orchestrating the Crimea bridge blast and ordered a government commission to investigate. There is a mixed reaction in Ukraine – a mix of celebration and worry that the crisis could escalate. The Russian rail link is said to have been restored, but road traffic in the peninsula remains constrictive and on the auto part of the bridge.
While Ukraine denied responsibility, Russian media said the blast was the result of a truck bomb that exploded on the automobile side of the bridge. It then ignited fuel cisterns on a train that was heading toward Crimea. The driver of the truck was killed in the blast. Surveillance video shows a large fireball. A small sedan and a tractor-trailer truck appear at the epicenter of the explosion.
While the explosion killed 3 people, the Russian government blames Ukraine for the incident. The incident in Ukraine has been a major source of friction between the two sides.
The explosion prompted both sides to consider the possibility of further expanding the war. While the Biden administration was trying to find a way for the war to end this conflict, the Russian military leadership is pressuring Putin to seek revenge.