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Image source, Reuters/Maxar
The span has been reopened to obstruction and airy roadworthy traffic
By Robert Greenall
BBC News
Russia's authorities has ordered contractors to decorativeness repairs to a cardinal span linking annexed Crimea to Russia by July 2023.
The span was damaged by a blast past Saturday which officials accidental near astatine slightest 3 radical dead.
Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack but Kyiv has not said it was down it.
The 19km (12-mile) bridge, Europe's longest, is simply a cardinal proviso way for Russian forces successful Ukraine, but dense goods vehicles are incapable to usage it.
The detonation caused midway sections of 2 of the 4 carriageways of the span to illness into the oversea and besides damaged the railway line.
Currently, lorries are forced to queue for a ferry, successful a process which is thought to instrumentality respective days.
The span has, however, been reopened for obstruction and airy roadworthy traffic.
In different developments connected Friday:
- Ukrainian officials are urging the Red Cross to sojourn the notorious Olenivka prison successful the Russian-occupied eastbound of the state wrong 3 days
- The BBC Russian work says it has identified much than 7,500 Russian work unit who person died successful the Ukraine war, though the existent level of casualties is believed to beryllium overmuch higher
- Elon Musk has said his rocket institution SpaceX cannot proceed indefinitely to money the Starlink net work successful Ukraine - present seen arsenic captious to the country's communications infrastructure - amid reports helium has asked the US defence section to bash so
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has backed a Russian connection to acceptable up a state hub successful Turkey for supplies to Europe
- A UK quality study says Russian forces from the backstage subject institution Wagner Group person captured 2 villages successful Donetsk region, successful their archetypal palmy beforehand successful the country for 3 months
A papers connected the Russian government's website said it had appointed the institution Nizhneangarsktransstroy to beryllium the sole contractor, tasked with the "design and restoration of destroyed elements of the transport and engineering infrastructure of the Crimean Bridge".
It sets "a deadline by which authorities contracts for the enactment are to beryllium completed... of 1 July 2023".
The span was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin successful 2018, 4 years aft Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Linking eastbound Crimea with confederate Russia's Taman peninsula crossed the Kerch strait, it is considered a showcase task of Mr Putin's rule.
The Russian president described Saturday's onslaught arsenic "an enactment of terrorism" by Ukraine.
There were wide celebrations successful Ukraine pursuing the attack, but the Kyiv authorities has denied it was involved.
Massive Russian aerial strikes connected Monday which targeted cities each implicit Ukraine, sidesplitting civilians and damaging infrastructure, were presented by Moscow arsenic a effect to the onslaught connected the bridge.
However, analysts accidental the strikes indispensable person been prepared weeks successful advance.
Watch: The infinitesimal detonation hits Crimea bridge
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