Jeddah: Early on Monday, Ukraine launched a fresh assault aimed at the crucial Kerch Bridge, which connects the occupied Crimean peninsula with Russia.
Two armed maritime drones were used in the attack, which resulted in the death of a Russian couple in their car and the injury of their daughter, by the Ukrainian navy and SBU security service.
Thousands of Russian tourists visiting the peninsula will likely experience chaos as the crucial road link on the bridge is likely to remain closed until November. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, commercial flights to Crimea have been suspended. Nowadays, most tourists drive across the bridge.
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On Monday, there were gridlocks as departing tourists attempted to return home through southern Ukraine, which is currently under Russian control but which Kyiv is battling to reclaim.
Vladimir Saldo, the newly appointed Russian governor of the Ukrainian region of Kherson, declared that air defense and other security measures would be stepped up on the overland route to Crimea. But whether this will reassure the tourists that the government has been attempting to entice to the Black Sea peninsula that Russia seized and annexed from Ukraine in 2014 remains to be seen.
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The attack strikes at Moscow's notion that a peninsula known for its rocky terrain, picturesque bays, and warm climate can be enjoyed safely at a time when Russians' options to travel abroad are constrained by visa bans and flight restrictions.
In October 2022, a truck bomb attack by the Ukrainians partially destroyed the Kerch Bridge.Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, promised retaliation for the most recent assault.
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There will undoubtedly be a Russian response, he said. The defense ministry is putting together pertinent suggestions. I'm awaiting concrete suggestions for enhancing the security of this crucial, strategically located transportation facility.