Ukraine Blows Open Putin’s Pride: Underwater Blast Shatters Kerch Bridge in Daring Strike | WATCH

Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, has claimed responsibility for a powerful underwater explosion that struck the Kerch Bridge, the critical road and rail link connecting Russian-occupied Crimea to Russia, damaging its underwater support pillars.

The operation marks Ukraine’s second high-profile strike on major Russian military infrastructure in recent days, following a drone attack on Moscow’s strategic bomber fleet over the weekend.

The 12-mile-long bridge, a prestige project opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, has long been a symbol of Russia’s hold over Crimea and a key logistics route for military supplies. It has now been targeted three times since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike as Kyiv announced it had been formally invited to attend the upcoming NATO summit , a move Zelenskyy earlier insisted was critical to avoid handing Russia a symbolic win.

According to the SBU, the latest attack involved over a metric tonne of TNT and had been in planning for several months. Ukrainian officials say the blast "severely damaged" the base of the bridge supports.

The Kerch Bridge is heavily defended, but Ukraine has shown a growing capacity to strike deep inside Russian-controlled territory. The SBU’s earlier attacks include a truck bomb in October 2022 and an experimental naval drone strike in July 2023. Russia repaired the damage both times.

Zelenskyy has also claimed recent Ukrainian strikes damaged 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers, suggesting a broader campaign aimed at undercutting Russia’s long-range attack capability and shifting momentum in the war, especially as Western allies debate the scale and speed of continued support.