The Russian State Duma has called the explosion at the Crimean Bridge a “declaration of war without rules,” warning that Moscow will almost certainly retaliate for the West’s attacks on vital civilian infrastructure.
On Oct. 8 at approximately 6 a.m. local time, a massive explosion was set off by a truck while it was on the Crimea Bridge, which set fire to seven fuel tanks of a train that was passing by and collapsing two sections of the motorway connecting Russian occupied Crimea to the Krasnodar Krai region. Three civilians who were in a nearby car when the truck blew up died in the explosion.
Vladimir Konstantinov, chairman of the State Council of Crimea, the leading body of the Russian-backed government of Crimea, blamed the explosion on “Ukrainian vandals who have finally managed to reach their bloody hands to the Crimean Bridge.” (Related: Ukraine’s Zelensky called for NATO strikes on Russia, raising new fears WWIII is on the horizon.)
Oleg Morozov, a member of the State Duma, in an interview with Russian news agency RIA Novosti, went even further and said that the attack on the Crimean Bridge was part of “a blatant terrorist war being waged against us.”
Morozov noted that Russia will be forced to give “an adequate response” to the attack because if not, “such terrorist attacks will multiply.”
These remarks were supported by Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s security council and former president and prime minister. Medvedev said the only way Russia can respond is by targeting Ukrainian terrorists.
“Russia can only respond to this crime by directly killing terrorists, as is the custom elsewhere in the world. This is what Russian citizens expect,” he said in an interview. “That was a terrorist act and sabotage committed by the criminal Kyiv regime. There never was any doubt about that. All reports were presented and conclusions made.”
Putin calls attack on bridge a terrorist attack by Kiev
During a meeting with the chairman of Russia’s Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, President Vladimir Putin directly blamed the Ukrainian government for the attack on the Crimean Bridge. He called it “a terrorist act” masterminded by Ukrainian special forces.
“There’s no doubt it was a terrorist act directed at the destruction of critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation,” said Putin. “And the authors, perpetrators and those who ordered it are the special services of Ukraine.”
Bastrykin said Ukrainian special forces and several other countries took part in the attack and helped Kiev plan it. Putin has ordered Bastrykin to create a commission to conduct a criminal investigation into the act of terror.
“We have already established the route of the truck,” said Bastrykin, who claimed that the truck had been to Bulgaria, Armenia and Georgia. It entered Russia through the North Ossetia region before heading to Krasnodar Krai.
Ukraine has not officially taken responsibility for the Crimean Bridge attack. Officials have pushed back against allegations that Ukraine is supporting terrorists by repeatedly accusing Russia of committing terrorist acts of its own.
Watch this video from “New Patriot” discussing the State Duma calling the Crimea Bridge explosion a “declaration of war.”
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