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Gallery|Russia-Ukraine war

The Kerch Bridge is ‘doomed’

Series of attacks on the bridge suggests Ukraine’s determination to sever the link to the Russian mainland at all costs.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’

By Danylo Hawaleshka

History Illustrated is a series of perspectives that puts news events and current affairs into historical context, using graphics generated with artificial intelligence.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — The Kerch Bridge that tethers Crimea to Russia is a coveted target for reasons both practical and symbolic. Built after Russia’s illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014, the bridge is seen by Ukraine as a yoke that, at all costs, must be shed — and destroyed.

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The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — Ukrainians first lost Crimea when they won the Euromaidan showdown and deposed their president, Viktor Yanukovych, who many considered a Russian proxy. In March 2014, with Yanukovych gone, Russia illegally annexed Crimea.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — But with Crimea now cut off from Ukraine, Russia needed a way to support its military and civilian infrastructure on the peninsula. A bridge over the Kerch Strait, which links the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov, was the only viable option.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — Construction began in 2016. At a cost of $3.6bn, the 19km (12-mile) bridge is the longest in Europe. As with the Crimean annexation, it is considered illegal under international law.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — Regardless, on May 15, 2018, and with his usual bravado, Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated the bridge by driving a truck over its giant span – a giant span that makes for a very large target, indeed.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — The Kerch Bridge became a military objective for Ukraine after Russia invaded in February 2022. In October of that year, a truck bomb blew a huge hole in the bridge, also setting train cars on fire.

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The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — Then, on July 17, 2023, two Sea Baby drones built by Ukraine’s SBU security service, each with 850kg (1,874lbs) of explosives, blew up under the bridge.

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — And on June 3, 2025, in the third and most recent attack, the SBU mined some of the bridge’s support columns with the equivalent of 1,100kg (2,425lbs) of TNT. A Kremlin spokesman later said "nothing was damaged".

The Kerch bridge is ‘doomed’ — Last year, an SBU agent identified only by his call sign, Hunter, left no doubt as to Ukraine’s intentions. "The Crimean Bridge is doomed," he said. Based on the latest attack on the Kerch Bridge, Ukraine appears very much intent on freeing itself from Russia’s would-be stranglehold.