WAR IN UKRAINE: October 8, 2022
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Day 223
Huge news out of Crimea today, one that’s being greeted with jubilation on both sides of the Ukraine-Moldova border (see video posted on RF social media of the aftermath). An explosion has caused a large fire on the only crossing that links the occupied peninsula and mainland Russia. The blast - possibly coordinated by a savvy special operations mission - on the road bridge led to oil tankers on the rail section catching fire.
Russian officials say at least three people were killed in the explosion. However, unverified video on Russian social media show skid marks just ahead of a section of roadway which collapsed - suggesting a higher fatality figure.
Previously, Russia claimed the 12-mile bridge, the longest in Europe, was impervious to attack as it has some 20 layers of protection - including “military dolphins.”
My hunch is that this is another well planned special ops by the Ukrainian side. As I’ve said previously it’s always been a tantalizing target and this will not only deal a huge blow to Russian pride but the catastrophic Kremlin war effort as well. On Thursday I told Sky News’ Mark Austin that I don’t rule out Kyiv trying to reclaim Crimea, especially given its battlefield gains in recent weeks. Most Ukrainians I’ve spoken to expect President Zelensky to follow through on his statements and take the peninsula back.
A former senior British army explosives expert says the damage to the bridge looks like “a masterpiece of clandestine sabotage.” The expert says this looks like the work of Ukrainian special forces. He told the BBC’s Paul Adams: “The lack of obvious blast/fragmentation damage on the road surface suggests that an air-delivered weapon was not used. A well-planned attack from below may have been the cause…I suspect explosives on the road bridge and train deck were initiated near simultaneously using coded radio command.”
Ukrainian president adviser Mykhailo Podolyak described the explosion as "the beginning.. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine," he says - BBC
Of course, state-controlled Russian media has spun the bridge explosion as an accident. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered an investigation. The closing of the bridge will pose serious logistical problems for the Russian army which is already facing poor planning, low moral and extraordinary pushback from the Ukrainian side. It would now seem logical for Kyiv to deploy additional efforts to sever the land bridge connecting Crimea to the Russian mainland.
Financial Times: Ukrainian troops report Starlink outages, hindering counteroffensive. Ukrainian troops have encountered issues with their Starlink communication devices on the frontline, leading to a “catastrophic” loss in communication, reports the Financial Times, citing unnamed Ukrainian officials. The outages were reported in eastern and southern Ukraine, especially in Russian-occupied parts, where Kyiv is conducting its counter-offensive - Kyiv Independent
