Putin ‘to escalate’ after bridge blast humiliation: Western officials fear Russia ‘might go nuclear’

Vladimir Putin may ‘go nuclear’ to deploy weapons of destruction in Ukraine, after Zelensky’s forces destroyed the bridge that connects Crimea. Russia suffered another blow.

An ex-head of the British Army advised that Putin could go nuclear.

The Telegraph also reported that General Lord Richard Dannatt said he expected Putin to intensify his attack on Ukraine. 

The Russian dictator previously stated that an attack on Kerch Strait, which is strategically vital between Russia and the annexed Crimea, would result in ‘judgment Day’.

Putin is seen speaking at the Kremlin audience last month. He’s expected to increase war.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s future prospects were bright after his Telegram address, which was in sharp contrast to the dark skies over Crimea that followed the blast.

As Russia’s war efforts continue to fail, he ordered that the FSB intelligence services monitor the security of the bridge.

For his birthday, Putin was presented with pyramids of melons by the president of Tajikistan. Lukoshenko, the president of Belarus gave Putin a tractor.

In the meantime, Volodymyr Zelensky (the Ukrainian president) rediscovered his humor in a tongue-in cheek weather report after damage to a critical strategic bridge linking Russia and Moscow-annexed Crimea.

In his Telegram nightly address, the Kyiv leader made fun of Putin’s humiliating attack on the supply line.

Zelensky reported that it was a sunny, warm day today in his country. The temperature was around 20°C and it was sunny across most of the territory.

The moment that the bridge explosion decimated a vital supply line was captured on CCTV.

Satellite images showed that hours later, the bridge had continued to burn.

It was sunny in Crimea but cloudy. However, the clouds may be, Ukrainians have a plan and the future looks bright.

“This is the future, without invaders on any of our territories, especially in Crimea.”

Trois people were killed after an apparent truck bomb blew down part of the bridge connecting Russia to the Ukrainian region, which was taken by Putin in 2014.

It happened just hours after Putin celebrated his 70th birthday. One of Zelensky’s assistants joked that it was a happy birthday for the President.

After a mysterious “wave”, which was captured on camera, it became more complicated. It led to suspicions that the Ukrainian Special Services used a drone or boat to launch an attack against Putin’s supplies lines.

Moscow claimed that a truck bomb was responsible for the blast, which resulted in the deaths of at least three persons. However, it did not assign blame. Meanwhile the Crimea-supported regional parliament accused Kyiv.

Putin responded by increasing security on the bridge in response to this embarrassing attack.

Putin issued a decree hours after the explosion damaged the bridge. It stated that the FSB security services would strengthen protection measures.

Kremlin claimed that the bridge was under Kremlin control. It was inaugurated by Putin personally in 2018.

Russian law enforcement have identified Samir Jusubov aged 25, of Krasnodar, Russia as the suspected owner the red-colored International Prostar Truck. Investigators believe it was blown up on the Crimean Bridge. Investigators are still trying to determine who drove the truck at the time it burst. 

Putin ordered workers to repair the section of the Kerch Strait bridge’s railway line this evening.

On the right you can see the rail bridge connecting Russia and the Crimean peninsula in flames, with a large section of it sinking into the ocean. 

Pictures of cars below the destroyed bridge linking Crimea and Russia after an enormous explosion are shown tonight

But the so-called ‘wave’ which appeared under the bridge before it was destroyed has led to speculation that it was attacked using a boat or explosive-laden drone.

Ukrainian officials threatened to destroy the bridge repeatedly, and others applauded its destruction. But Kyiv didn’t claim any responsibility. However, a top aide to President Zelensky boasted that ‘Putin should be happy. The Prime Minister of Estonia stated that Ukraine was responsible for the attack.

As Ukraine advances southward towards Kherson, the attack may reduce supplies to Putin’s troops. The blast caused a section of the bridge to collapse into the ocean and set seven train-carrying oil tanks on fire. In Crimea, there are already long fuel lines, even though Russians claim they have enough to last for at least two weeks.

Officials from the bridge unlocked the truck’s doors before it left, despite the fact that it had been protected with maximum security.

The images appear to show water movement under the bridge just seconds before the explosion that brought down the road bridge, and ignited oil tankers. 

Kerch Bridge links Russia to Crimea. It is vital supply for Russian forces fighting in Ukraine.

This is Russia’s latest defeat in its invasion of Ukraine. Putin’s forces have struggled to maintain their ground over the last few months. 

After the explosion, the fire raged on the railway bridge as several fuel tanks caught fire. 

Eyewitnesses reported that you could hear the blast from far away. A column of smoke was seen rising above the Black Sea. 

Russian propaganda claimed that the Crimean bridge could not be attacked because it was protected by 20 types of security, which included military dolphins. 

There is speculation that the drone used in the attack on this bridge was a drone. The Russian Ministry of Defence has provided this image. It shows the mystery Ukrainian drone that was found close to Crimea. 

In 2018, the 12-mile span across Kerch Strait, linking the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov was opened. It is Europe’s longest bridge.

The £3.2billion project is a tangible symbol of Moscow’s claims on Crimea and has provided an essential link to the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Russia holds Crimea as a symbol of its power and it is crucial to the survival of its military operations in south Ukraine. Russia has seized Crimea and established a corridor of land along the Sea of Azov. Ukraine, however, is calling for a counteroffensive.

Russian Defence Ministry stated that troops in south received the supplies they needed through land and sea. According to the Energy Ministry, Crimea is stocked with fuel enough for 15 days. It was also working out ways to replenish its stock.

It has sections that connect to the road and trains. One of two bridge links collapsed due to blasting and fire, but the other link was unaffected.

Russia has released this picture of Samir Yusubov, 25, believed to be the truck’s owner 

According to the Russian Transport Ministry, train traffic over the bridge will resume shortly following quick repairs.

On Saturday, vehicle traffic was restored on the link that survived the blast. There were two routes, each with flow in one direction. Vehicles also went through a full inspection, as Crimea’s Russia-backed regional leader Sergey Aksyonov posted on Telegram.

The rail traffic had resumed slowly. On Saturday night, two passenger trains left the Crimean cities Sevastopol & Simferopol to head toward the bridge. On Sunday, passenger ferry connections between Crimea (and the Russian mainland) were being launched again.

Putin learned of the explosion and created a government panel that would deal with it.

While the Kremlin-backed Crimea regional parliament blamed Ukraine, the speaker said that the incident was under control and the bridge would soon be repaired.

Leonid Slutsky (head of the foreign affairs commission in the Russian lower house) said that ‘consequences would be impending’ if Ukraine was responsible.

Gennady Ziuganov, the head of Russia’s Communist Party (which is nominally part of the opposition, but votes according to Kremlin wishes at parliament), said that the “terror attack” should be a wake up call.

He said, “The long-awaited measures have not been taken yet. The special operation must now be converted into a antiterrorist operations.”

Sergei Mironov of the Just Russia faction said that Moscow must attack key infrastructure in Ukraine, including bridges, power plants and railways.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party’s parliamentary leader on Saturday did not accuse Kyiv, but he seemed to attribute the situation to Moscow’s takingover of Crimea.

“Russian illegal constructions are starting to crumble and catch fire. This is why: If you create something explosive, it will explode sooner than later,” David Arakhamia of the Servant of the People party wrote in Telegram.

Oleksiy Dalov, secretary to Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council tweeted a clip with the Kerch Bridge lit up and Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday, Mr. President.

Photos taken in the aftermath show the destruction it did to the rail and road bridges. 

As the bridge was shut to traffic, you could see smoke billowing over the water as it closed later in the morning.

You could see the fire burning miles from the site of an explosion that destroyed a fuel tank aboard a train.

The Kerch Bridge road section was badly damaged in the blast. It’s not yet known how long the repairs will take. 

In an attempt to put out the flames at the bridge, a helicopter dropped water.

After the explosion, people took photos of themselves with giant stamps that depicted the bridge in flames. 

As Putin’s forces suffer further setbacks, many Ukrainians welcomed this latest attack on Putin’s regime. 

After explosions in Kharkiv, an eastern Ukrainian city, on Saturday morning, the blast at the bridge took place hours later. The explosions sent plumes of smoke up into the air and set off secondary explosions.

Officials from Ukraine claimed that Russia attacked Kharkiv (Ukraine’s second largest city) with missiles-to-the-air surface. At least one person was also injured. Oleh Sinehubov (regional governor) said that the strikes were directed at two residential areas.

In the aftermath of the collapsed bridge, huge queues formed at the Petrol stations in Crimea. This was just a few days after Russian puppet authorities stated that there would be petrol for forty days. Others claimed there were only 15 days worth of fuel, and panic-shoppers waited for hours at petrol stations in Crimea.

Reports on the peninsula claim that 3kg of basic groceries was restricted to locals amid concerns for supply.

The video of the Russian man living in Crimea shows him saying that he had enjoyed a happy life. But it was only temporary. There are many ways. [of escape]are cut now.

Yuri Kotyonok (pro-Putin’s military correspondent) joined a wave demanding that Russia attack Ukraine. He stated that the answer to the question of destroying the bridge must be devastating. This is not about the question of revenge. It’s about how we can respond to terrorist attacks. It is certain that the Crimean Bridge can be rebuilt. It is my hope they do so quickly, within the next few months. He wanted to know why the targets in Kyiv were still intact.

Popular pro-Rus blogger Yuri Podolyaka stated that “It seems like this is prelude for the main strike of Ukrainians in South.” If Ukraine does not fall into darkness in the coming days and no strikes take place on the bridges over the Dnieper River, then it will be a sign for me personally. [epic failure].’

Vladimir Rogov (chairman of the ‘We are Together with Russia’ movement and key figure in occupied Ukraine) stated: “The Crimean Bridge has been destroyed. The road and rail lines were both cut. It is now possible to see the [Ukraine]It is necessary to destroy terrorist entities.

He provided exact coordinates for the precise map of Ukraine’s targets.

Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv’s mayor, said that the explosions in the morning were caused by missile strikes at the city centre. The blasts set fire to one city medical institution and another non-residential structure, he said. No immediate reports were made of any casualties.  

Russian officials claimed that they were facing an emergency on the bridge, with the train burning. Russian Telegram said that it was possible for an improvised explosive to be hidden within any passing vehicle and detonated.

Oleg Kryuchkov, aide to the Kremlin-appointed head of annexed Crimea, said: ‘According to preliminary information, a fuel storage tank is on fire…. The navigational arches did not suffer any damage. The causes and effects of these events are too soon to be discussed. It is now possible to extinguish this blaze.

Russian-controlled Crimean Railways reported that the fuel tank of a freight locomotive caught on fire. Kerch station was reached by the locomotive and some of its carriages.

Recent days have seen Ukraine become even more determined in its prediction that it would retake Crimea which Russia annexed in 2014. 

Rybar was a proRussian Telegram channel that reported on the incident: “An explosion occurred at 6 AM in one of the Crimean Bridge sections. Official reports claim that the explosion was caused by a fuel tanker setting itself ablaze. Traffic has been temporarily suspended while emergency services respond to the situation.

“However, photographs and video footage clearly show that one vehicle was taken out of service. This is not possible due to simple fire. It’s possible that there was an explosive device hidden inside any vehicle passing.

Andrey Rudenko, a pro-Kremlin reporter for war asked: “What power was required for the explosion to cause a bridge span to sink under water?” The main explosion could have been underwater, it is possible. There were reports at the start of this year that Ukraine had received underwater kamikaze drones from the West.

Vladimir Rogov is the chairman of “We are Together with Russia” movement. He was also a major official in occupied Ukraine. [Ukraine]It is necessary to destroy terrorist entities. 

After a number of setbacks, Russian invaders in February 2015 caused by the Russian Army General Sergey Surovikin, Surovikin was reported to be in charge of Putin’s war in Ukraine. 

In June, the British Ministry of Defence stated that Surovikin’s career had been marred by corruption allegations and acts of brutality for more than thirty years.

In the past few weeks, Ukraine launched a successful counter-offensive to Russia. It claimed miles of territory.  

The Ukrainian government has retaken hundreds of settlements as well as miles of territory in its east against Russian aggression. 

What Ukraine could do to defeat Russia? Expert describes how Kyiv’s forces are moving in the East and South. He also outlines the road to victory, with all the roads to Crimea 

In August, President Volodymyr Zilesnky stated that the war started with Crimea. It must end with Crimea. According to military experts this is precisely what his generals want to accomplish. 

Ben Hodges, a former commander American forces in Europe has described his view of the Ukrainian victory route. This includes the cities Kherson and Mariupol as well as the ending “when the last Russian soldier crosses over the border.” [Kerch]Bridge out of Crimea 

General Hodges is now with the Center for European Policy Analysis and believes that Ukraine will continue to try to capture Kherson in its south, where there has been a major attack since early August. A secondary attack on Mariupol could also be launched through Donbas.

He said that when Mariupol is destroyed, the troops will also converge upon Crimea. They would bombard the peninsula with HIMARS missiles, and force the Russians to retreat beyond their border.

King’s College visitor fellow for war studies Dr Mike Martin raised the possibility that Ukraine could use its reserves to break the Russian frontline and make it hard for Putin to send reinforcements. He also shared his thoughts via Twitter.

There is no guarantee in war and Putin will do anything to stop Kyiv, from sending conscripts to the frontlines to using nuclear weapons.

MailOnline analyzes the possibilities for Ukraine to win as it becomes easier to see their path.

Former commander of US forces Europe General Ben Hodges has described what he thinks Ukraine will do to win against Russia. He said that “Crimea” is the prize and that the war would end when the last Russian soldier steps along the road. [Kerch bridge, connecting the peninsula with mainland Russia]’

Kherson

Ukraine launched its long-awaited counter-attack against the Kherson region in August. However, there has been little progress. Reports have begun to emerge of an improvement this week.

According to Kyiv’s goal, the Russians want Kherson back. This is the only capital in the region that Putin has seized so far during wartime. It also occupies an important position: it spans the Dnipro River, where it enters the Dniprovska Golf and the Black Sea.

It would be a loss for Russia to its sole foothold on the Dnipro west bank, make it impossible to attack Odessa and prove the lies of Putin’s fraudulent referendums and claims of annexation.

Ukraine is fighting hard for Kherson over the past 2 months. Reports of Russian troops withdrawing 10 miles from the area this week suggest that they may be able to make a breakthrough.

The Ukrainian Special Forces troops can be seen moving across Ukraine’s south amid news of an advance in Russian lines, which may have forced Putin’s men back over 10 miles

Ukrainian tanks opened fire on Russian positions at Kherson. It is part of a large offensive in the area that seeks to capture the city from Russia.

General Hodges said that it could take up to a week to break the Kherson pocket. Ukraine does not give a time frame. If it is possible to win, this victory would mark a turning point.

Russia had stationed the majority of its forces in Ukraine and nearly all its top fighting units in the city. Their loss would prove to be devastating for the Kremlin. 

Even if Kherson falls, Kyiv leaves observers with little to no doubt as to what will happen next. 

As the attack on Kherson was nearing, several explosions devastated large parts of the Crimea, destroying airfields and ammo dumps. Kyiv was slow in claiming responsibility. Perhaps it tried to hide the weapon used or fear of Putin’s escalation.

After all, in 2014, the despot annexed Crimea, making it, at least in Russia’s eyes, a part of Russia.

Zelensky declared, on August 10, that Crimea is Ukrainian. And that he would never abandon it. The Russian war…began in Crimea, and must be ended with Crimea.

Kharkiv/Donbas

This was the frontline before a couple of weeks ago. Russia had made steady advances in the South around Bakhmut, and Ukraine was holding off against Russian long-range strikes in Kharkiv.

A surprise Ukrainian counter-attack launched after Russia relocated its top units to the south in order to protect Kherson changed all that.

In just days, a breakthrough in Russian lines led to a swift advance and then total destruction of Putin’s army in Kharkiv. This resulted in an estimated 3000 square miles of territory being returned under Ukrainian control.

The retreat was so quick that Ukrainians found food on their stoves after they reached abandoned Russian camps. Numerous vehicles were taken and hundreds of bullets of ammunition were confiscated.

An incredible Ukrainian counter-attack has begun east from Kharkiv. It has slowed down but is not stopping. The city of Lyman has now been placed under Kyiv control, and the troops of the Ukrainian government are moving towards Svatove/Kreminna

Ukrainian troops ambush Russian armoured cars using anti-tank missiles in Donetsk.

But the offensive does not stop. Russia is now in a halting position, and Ukraine has been slowing down. 

Lyman, which was a key transport hub in Donetsk’s northern Donetsk region, was captured over the weekend. From there, the troops advance towards Kreminna (in neighbouring Luhansk) and Borova to Svatove within the same area.

If those two cities were to fall it would be possible for Russia’s attack on Lysychansk or Severodonetsk. Russia spent weeks capturing the cities with blood, sweat and ammunition, which was crucial in its claim that the Luhansk region had been ‘liberated. 

Ukraine has the option to either attack the two regional capitals, Donetsk/Luhansk or bypass them to push south toward the sea and Mariupol.

This is the conclusion General Hodges reached. 

“My feeling is that these operations are now underway, the northern arm of Kharkiv that’s coming down towards Donetsk. [and’ that’s heading straight towards Mariupol,’ he told the CEPA conference. 

Aside from Kherson, Mariupol has been the other prize captured by Putin in a little over seven months of war, having worn down the heroic Ukrainian defenders to the point of surrender – which came back in May. 

Should Ukraine re-capture Mariupol, it would be a hammer blow. Russia painted the Azov Battalion – who defended the city – as war criminals and neo-Nazis. Putin’s claim to be ‘de-Nazifying’ Ukraine is, at least in part, based on destroying this unit and taking the city.

Should Mariupol fall, General Hodges believes the Ukrainian forces will head in one direction: ‘Towards Crimea.’ 

Reserves?

‘When and where to commit your reserve is literally THE question for the theatre commander,’ Dr Mike Martin of King’s College wrote on Twitter around a month ago, after the extent of Ukraine’s counter-attack around Kharkiv became clear. 

Much remains unknown about Ukraine’s reserves. Kyiv has kept the size of its armed forces and its casualties a closely-guarded secret, meaning it is impossible to guess at how many men it might have ready and able to deploy and what kind of equipment they could be armed with.

However, Kyiv has carried out a general mobilisation of the population – unlike Russia, which has belatedly gone for ‘partial’ mobilisation – meaning every man aged up to 65 is eligible to be called up, which would amount to millions of troops if they could all be armed and trained.

So, the question is: Where, how and when does Ukraine use these forces? 

Ukraine has an unknown number of troops in reserve, but has fully mobilised its population – giving it a pool of millions to draw on, and they could be used for an attack 

  Kyiv has carried out a general mobilisation of the population – unlike Russia, which has belatedly gone for ‘partial’ mobilisation

Dr Martin, posting on Twitter today, believes he has found the answer. ‘Ukraine [would use]Its strategic reserve was to seperate the Russian Armed Forces of Ukraine into two parts that can’t mutually strengthen.

He also posted the tweet along with a map he had drawn quickly showing the direction of his advance from Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia to Mariupol and Berdyansk.

Apart from skirmishes at Zaporizhzhia’s nuclear power station and Ukrainian partisan activities, the front has been calm ever since Russia moved across it in early war. But Dr Martin believes it might soon become the heart of the action.

If Ukraine can achieve it, the trust makes sense. The forces in Kharkiv would be able to concentrate on Donetsk and Luhansk attacks, as well as liberating Donbass under Russian control. It would also prevent Putin’s withdrawal of any Kherson units to defend the region, unless they are willing to break through Ukrainian lines.

Crimea

“Crimea” is the name of the prize. It will be that way. Victory is when the last Russian soldiers walks across that long span,’ General Hodges says. This refers to the Kerch Strait bridge Putin constructed connecting Crimea to Russia.

Mark Hertling, another ex-general from the US, spoke at the CEPA event. He agreed that Ukraine’s goal is to reach the peninsula. He warned that it would be difficult to take the peninsula.

Contrary to the rest Ukraine, which tends towards flattiness and openness, the Crimean peninsula can be separated from its mainland via what General Hertling refers to as “marshland”, a chain of islands with two main roads, that Ukrainian forces have access to.

Even though the Russian forces may be in a bad state by the time of any attack, this still leaves them very vulnerable. This limits Kyiv’s options on how to proceed with the operation.

Numerous large explosions erupted at a Russian-held military base in Crimea today. A mushroom cloud sent nearby bathers running from the area.

An enormous mushroom cloud rises from an explosion at the Russian-held Airbase in Novofedorivka (Crimea).

After explosions at the Russian military base near Novofedorivka in occupied Crimea on August 9, smoke rises

General Hertling stated that Russia used its naval infantry and other special operators to invade Crimea in 2014. “Ukraine doesn’t currently have any ships, and they have no naval operations. It will take some time before it can have long-range plans.” [artillery]To go there. 

“But, artillery isn’t enough. It’s not possible to hold ground. This is going to be an extremely difficult fight.

Putin will fight for Crimea, as General Hertling knows, provided that he remains at the helm.

“If Putin remains in power, he will see [an attack on Crimea]He added that the attacks on Ukraine’s other oblasts are even more troublesome than their attacks. We have not yet witnessed Russia’s strategic bomber fleet used, nor have we seen them deploy their naval forces in the way they might.

“What do you think? Given the dysfunction in their ground forces, should we worry about their air and navy forces as much as we are about their air force and navy forces?” Most likely. However, they do still have these available.

General Hodges shared his agreement, however, he believes that once Ukrainian artillery and the particularly devastating HIMARS systems are within striking distance of Russian bases in Crimea, they will be “untenable” and Putin will have to make a decision. 

General Hodges said that he believed the Ukrainians would use the big bridge as an invitation to depart.