Head of HUR announces new strikes on Crimea, advising civilians "not to use the bridge"
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Ukraine will continue to strike at Russian targets in temporarily occupied Crimea, HUR head Kyrylo Budanov hinted in a Telegram post on Feb. 25.
"New surprises await the enemies, and I would not recommend civilians to use the so-called Crimean bridge," Budanov said.
The intelligence officer reminded that Russia's war against Ukraine began not two, but ten years ago, starting with the occupation of Crimea.
Read also: Satellite photos show Russian occupiers are sinking ferries to protect Crimean bridge
"However, neither the Ukrainian state nor the Ukrainians agreed to recognize the aggressor's right to the Crimean land,” he added.
“And the resistance of the local Ukrainian population against the occupiers did not subside for a moment, despite the repressions."
He noted that for both defensive and offensive operations, Ukraine must control the Black Sea and be present in Crimea.
According to him, Russia lost a quarter of its ships and was forced to withdraw its fleet to the Caucasus coast and redeploy its aviation, as Crimea's airfields and military facilities are constantly under Ukrainian fire.
Read also: Russian Colonel sentenced to six years for failure to protect Crimean Bridge
He also thanked the Crimean residents who monitor the operational situation on the peninsula and pass on information to Ukraine.
"We promised that in 2023 Ukrainian special forces would be in Crimea, and we have fulfilled this promise," Budanov summarized.
What is known about the SBU attacks on the Crimean bridge
On Oct. 8, 2022, the Security Service of Ukraine attacked the Crimean Bridge for the first time — after a truck explosion, two half-sections of the road part of the bridge collapsed, and the railroad tracks were also damaged.
On Oct. 12, 2022, the Kremlin regime accused Kyrylo Budanov of organizing the sabotage. For its part, the HUR denied these statements, calling them "nonsense."
On May 5, 2023, the Russian Federation announced that it had completely restored the destroyed part of the bridge. On July 8, 2023, then-Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Hanna Malyar confirmed that Ukraine was behind the explosion on the bridge.
On July 17, 2023, the SBU attacked the Crimean Bridge again, using Sea Baby drones. Deputy Prime Minister of the aggressor country, Russia, Marat Khusnullin, admitted that one span of the road part of the Crimean bridge could not be restored.
Read also: Behind the scenes: How Ukraine's SBU executed the Crimean Bridge attack
After Ukraine's successful attacks, the Russian occupiers additionally surrounded the Crimean bridge with "special anti-sabotage barriers" that can allegedly protect the structure from surface and underwater drones.
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