Ukraine war: Crimea bridge targeted by missiles, Russia says

Two Ukrainian missiles person targeted a span linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, Moscow says.

Unverified videos connected societal media amusement plumes of fume rising adjacent Kerch bridge. Russia's defence ministry said S-200 missiles had been utilized and changeable down causing nary damage.

Ukraine has not commented connected the alleged attack.

There person been astatine slightest 2 different attacks targeting the span successful the past fewer months.

The Kerch span was opened successful 2018 and enables roadworthy and obstruction question betwixt Russia and Crimea - Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia successful 2014.

It is an important resupply way for Russian forces occupying parts of confederate Ukraine.

Russia's defence ministry said that Ukraine had targeted the operation connected Saturday astatine astir 13:00 (10:00 GMT).

It identified the missiles utilized arsenic S-200s - guided, Cold War-era surface-to-air weapons primitively designed to destruct force craft that person seemingly been adapted for ground-attack use.

The country's overseas ministry meantime said that "such barbaric actions... volition not spell unanswered".

Crimea's Russia-appointed politician Sergei Aksyonov aboriginal said that a 3rd rocket had been changeable down implicit the Kerch Strait.

Earlier connected Saturday, Russia said it had changeable down 20 Ukrainian drones adjacent the peninsula.

An advisor to Mr Aksyonov said that postulation was halted and the fume was an intentional "screen" generated by the military.

While Kyiv has not confirmed the attack, nor the weapons used, it would beryllium the latest successful a fig of Ukrainian attempts to harm the bridge.

Last month, the Ukrainian website Euromaidan Press claimed that converted S-200 missiles had been utilized to onslaught the span arsenic good arsenic 2 subject targets successful Russia's Rostov and Bryansk Oblasts.

Kyiv did not officially corroborate it carried retired the attack, but a root successful its information work told BBC Russian it was down it and that water-based drones had been used.

And an detonation connected the span successful October 2022 inactive remains a mystery.

Footage from the clip showed a immense fireball erupting arsenic a fig of cars and lorries made their mode crossed the bridge.

The span was partially closed. It was afloat reopened successful February.

Kyiv has repeatedly said it plans to retake Crimea and each territories seized by Russia since it launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022.