Black smoke billows from a fire on the Kerch bridge on October 8
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)The Kerch Bridge — the main link between Russia and Crimea and a key supply artery for Russian troops — is unlikely to be fully operational until at least September 2023, the UK said on Wednesday.
An explosion on October 8 sent the 12-mile road and rail link crumbling into the Black Sea. The Kremlin blamed a truck bomb and said the blast killed three people while setting fire to seven oil tankers.
The damage has disrupted Russian logistics supplies for Crimea and southern Ukraine, reducing Russia’s ability to move military equipment and troops into the area.
The bridge was due to be closed on Tuesday to allow the installation of a replacement 64-metre span, the Ministry of Defence said in an update on Wednesday. Three more spans will be required to replace the damaged road sections.
Although Crimean officials have claimed these additional spans will be in place by December 20, a briefing provided to Russian president Vladimir Putin added that works to the other carriageway would cause disruption to road traffic until March 2023, the defence intelligence update said.
Replacement of the damaged rail bridge is expected to be completed by September 2023, although Russia’s deputy prime minister stated the timeline would be expedited. One track is open, but transport is restricted. Repairs will be dependent on weather conditions.
“The damage to the bridge, the recent attack on the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol and the probable withdrawal from Kherson all complicate the Russian government’s ability to paint a picture of military success,” the MoD said. Photographs released by the Russian federal road agency, Rosavtodor, show restoring works on damaged parts of the bridge.
The £3.2 billion structure was built by Putin in 2018 to reinforce his claim to Crimea, seized in 2014. It is a vital transport link for carrying equipment to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
The damage to the bridge triggered scenes of jubilation in Ukraine although Kyiv did not directly claim responsibility. In Donetsk, Russian troops have denounced an ‘incomprehensible battle’ after sustaining heavy losses.
Moscow has been trying to break through Kyiv’s defences around the town of Pavlivka but have suffered as many as 300 men killed in action, according to an open letter published on a prominent Russian military blog.
The men of the 155th Brigade of the Russian Pacific Fleet Marines launched stinging criticism against a senior Russian official in a rare display of defiance, accusing authorities of “hiding” the number of casualties.
