Surprises ahead, it's doomed: Ukrainian Security Service comments on Crimean Bridge future

"This is a real slap in the face to Putin, it's a new milestone in the history of naval forces. As soon as they started building it, we already understood that in case of a full-scale invasion, it would be the main logistical artery for the enemy. Indeed, that's what happened. The enemy troops in southern Ukraine are being supplied via the Crimean Bridge," said Maliuk.

The destruction of the Crimean Bridge restricted Russia's transportation of military equipment and fuel to the captured territories in the south.

"This is a legitimate target. According to the norms of the Geneva Conventions, other norms of international law, existing legislation, or traditions of warfare, this is a legitimate target because it's an illegal construction on Ukrainian territory," Maliuk explained.

Operation preparation

According to the Security Service of Ukraine, video and photos of Russians themselves, which they posted on their social media, were used to prepare attacks on the Crimean Bridge. For one of the strikes, a video of a Russian woman filming her vacation on a yacht was used, showing the lower structures of the bridge.

That's why the decision was made to create the Sea Baby maritime drones. Initially, a prototype was created, loaded with sandbags to test its maneuverability.

In July, the SSU reported to the president about the readiness to use maritime drones and immediately received an order to attack the Crimean Bridge. Five combat surface drones took part in the operation. They moved ahead and scouted the path for the main group. Specialists in Kyiv controlled the drones moving toward the bridge. Each maritime drone carried around 300 kilograms of TNT and moved at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour.

However, only two maritime drones reached the bridge itself and struck it in July 2023. The first of the two drones disabled the bridge, and during the attack of the second one, a train with tankers was moving across the bridge, which detonated along with the drone, increasing the destruction of the bridge.

Future attacks on the Crimean Bridge

"There will be many more surprises ahead. Not just concerning the Crimean Bridge. The bridge is doomed," Maliuk stated.

According to the SSU, they managed to destroy 6 out of 8 supports of the bridge, and the remaining two were damaged.

The Crimean Bridge still doesn't function fully, leaving Russian forces in southern Ukraine without constant reinforcement.

It's worth noting that in August, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, revealed that maritime drones are a unique development of the special service. They successfully attacked the Crimean Bridge in July 2023, as well as the Russian landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak and the tanker SIG. Additionally, the ships Samum and Pavel Derzhavin came under attack by these drones. Moreover, they caused damage to the large military tug of the enemy, the Nikolay Mur, and the state-of-the-art reconnaissance-hydrographic vessel, the Vladimir Kozitsky.

The Security Service of Ukraine recently announced that they have another maritime drone, named Mamai, which assists in operations in the Black Sea.

Situation in Crimea

The illegally constructed Crimean Bridge by the occupiers suffered attacks at least twice.

In October 2022, powerful explosions occurred on it, causing significant damage. The head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Vasyl Maliuk, confirmed that it was an operation of his special service.

Moreover, in July 2023, there was another attack on the Crimean Bridge. Two spans were destroyed then. SSU head Maliuk also confirmed the involvement of the special service in this attack and noted that it was organized with the help of Sea Baby drones.

Overall, explosions are increasingly heard in Crimea. Ukrainian defenders have carried out dozens of operations on the peninsula and in the Black Sea, destroying Russian bases, warehouses, and ships.

For instance, on December 20, explosions were heard in Crimea. Later, the media reported damage to the center of the long-range space communication of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Also, on December 21, explosions were heard in Kerch, and smoke was noticed in the area of the Industrial Highway. There is a large military-industrial plant Albatros located there. According to the latest information, it was abandoned and not in use.

At that time, the occupiers also claimed the alleged operation of the air defense system, blocking the Crimean Bridge.