Kerch Bridge connecting Crimea with Russia, taken October 14, 2022.
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A drone attack on an ammunition depot in Crimea prompted authorities to evacuate people within a 5 km (3.1 mi) radius and halt road traffic on a bridge linking the peninsula with Russia, the Moscow-appointed regional governor said on Saturday.
Sergei Aksyonov said there was an explosion at a warehouse in Krasnohvardiiske, central Crimea, but there were no reports of damage or casualties. Footage shared by state media showed a thick plume of gray smoke at the scene.
Aksyonov blamed the Ukrainian drone strike. There was no immediate comment from Kiev.
Russia occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, eight years before launching a full-scale invasion of the country.
Traffic on the Crimean Bridge, about 180 kilometers (110 miles) east, comes five days after an explosion at the Crimean Bridge killed two people and damaged a section of the road – the second major attack on the bridge since the start of the war.
The 19-kilometer (12-mile) road and rail bridge is an important logistical link for Russian forces, and is also heavily used by Russian tourists who flock to Crimea in the summer.
Russia accused Ukraine of carrying out the attacks on the bridge. Officials in Kiev greeted them without directly claiming responsibility.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday said the bridge was a legitimate target because it was a route for military supplies to Russia.
“This is the route used to deliver ammunition for war and this is being done every day,” he said.
Russia is on high alert for incidents at the bridge and the official Telegram channel advises people not to panic in case of an alarm.
In another sign of security concerns in Crimea, Oleg Kryuchkov, an adviser to Aksyonov, warned people not to post images of critical infrastructure on the internet.
He urged those who know the author of such posts to report them to the Interior Ministry or the FSB security agency.
“Remember that a video posted on the website of the military or other important facilities is working for the enemy,” he said.
