Ukrainian president says Russian bridge to Crimea 'has to be neutralized'

Patrick Hilsman
·2 min read
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Kerch Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea to Russia, "the road that fuels the war with ammunition" while speaking to the Aspen Security Forum. File Photo by Ukrainian President Press Office
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July 22 (UPI) -- The Russian military launched strikes across Ukraine overnight, killing at least six civilians, according to Ukrainian officials. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Kerch Bridge, which connects Crimea to Russia, "has to be neutralized."

In addition to six deaths, eight people were wounded in Russian strikes on Friday and Saturday, according to Ukrainian military officials.

Speaking to the Aspen Security Forum, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called the Kerch Bridge "the road used to feed the war with ammunition."

"Any target that is bringing war, not peace, has to be neutralized," Zelensky said.

On Monday, an explosion, which has been attributed to Ukrainian naval drones, damaged a part of the bridge and killed two people, according to Russian officials.

A strike, attributed to Ukrainian naval drones damaged a section of the Kerch Bridge on Monday, killing two people, according to Russian officials. Photo courtesy of Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation
A strike, attributed to Ukrainian naval drones damaged a section of the Kerch Bridge on Monday, killing two people, according to Russian officials. Photo courtesy of Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation

Ukrainian air defenses shot down five Russian drones, according to Euromaidan press.

Ukraine has received its first delivery of 10 German Leopard 1A5 tanks, with a total of 135 pledged by German, Dutch and Danish partners.

The Polish government has summoned the Russian ambassador after Russian President Vladimir Putin made comments ostensibly threatening Polish sovereignty. File Photo by Kremlin Pool/UPI

Pro-Russian Telegram channels reported an explosion at a Russian ammunition warehouse in occupied Crimea Saturday. Occupation authorities temporarily suspended traffic on the Kerch Bridge, which connects occupied Crimea to Russia after the explosion.

Later in the day the Ukrainian military said it had destroyed ammunition and oil facilities.

The Polish government summoned Russia's ambassador after Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Poland intended to invade western Ukraine and seemed to threaten Polish sovereignty.

"The western territories of Poland are a gift from Stalin to the Poles, have our friends in Warson forgotten about this? We will remind you," Putin said in a televised statement.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski said the meeting with Russia's ambassador was "very brief."

The British Defense Ministry said Saturday that the arrest of pro-war military blogger Igor Girkin Friday on "extremism" charges, "is likely to infuriate fellow members of the mil-blogger community - and elements within the serving military -- who largely see Girkin as an astute military analyst and patriot."

Girkin was convicted in absentia by a Dutch court for his role in the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines flight MH-17 in 2014.

A reporter with links to pro-Russian militias and the National Bolshevik Party, Rostislav Zhuravlev, was killed in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, according to his outlet, RIA Novosti.