Russia Sentences Eight to Life for 2022 Crimean Bridge Blast
MOSCOW — A Russian military court sentenced eight individuals to life imprisonment on Thursday for their alleged roles in the 2022 attack on the Crimean Bridge, an explosion that temporarily severed a vital supply route between Russia and the annexed peninsula.
The blast on October 8, 2022, killed five people and caused significant damage to the 19-kilometer (12-mile) bridge, which serves as both a strategic transport link and a symbolic assertion of Russian control over Crimea. While Kyiv initially remained ambiguous about involvement, Ukrainian officials later acknowledged the attack as a operation aimed at disrupting Russian military logistics.
The Southern Military Court in Rostov-on-Don announced the verdict following a closed-door trial, stating the defendants had been convicted of committing a “terrorist act” resulting in fatalities, illegal weapons possession, and—in two cases—smuggling explosives. The accused maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings, and defense counsel confirmed plans to appeal the decision.
The Kerch Bridge, personally inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin in 2018, has been repeatedly targeted since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The structure represents one of Moscow’s most important supply corridors to forces in southern Ukraine and holds deep political significance following Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.
Though Russian authorities had long asserted the bridge’s security, the 2022 explosion exposed its vulnerability. The attack prompted immediate repairs and heightened security measures, but the crossing has continued to face threats throughout the ongoing conflict.
The sentencing reflects Moscow’s firm stance against what it categorizes as terrorism, while the closed nature of the trial and severity of the punishments underscore the highly charged political context surrounding the bridge and the wider war in Ukraine.
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