Russia's state Investigative Committee has put out a statement saying at least three civilians died as a result of the attack on the Crimean Bridge, which was likely a fertilizer-laden truck bombing. "According to preliminary data, three people died as a result of the incident. They were presumably passengers of a car, which was near the exploded track. As of now, the bodies of a man and a women have been recovered from the water, their identities are being established," the committee said. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova at the same time blasted what she called the "criminal logic" of some NATO officials who are positively cheering the attack.
Ukrainian government sources have owned up to the attack, but this claim of responsibility stopped short of being made publicly or officially: "A Ukrainian government official told The Washington Post that the country’s special services were behind the attack, though Kyiv stopped short of saying it was responsible — even as top officials taunted Moscow." As for the taunting and trolling, the official Twitter account for the government of Ukraine also tweeted out:
A fire which had raged for hours at the scene, particularly freight which had been on the rail part of the bridge that had burned out of control, now appears to be out - allowing Russian investigators to view the full extent of the damage.
A large section of bridge which has been vital to Russian military supply lines has been totally collapsed, with entire sections of roadway having fallen into the water below.
One or two lanes of the bridge weren't directly impacted, with reports that this section of bridge has already resumed traffic, with the Kremlin saying ferry traffic is to assist in transporting more.
In the aftermath of the major attack on Russian infrastructure, there's growing speculation that President Vladimir Putin could be poised to declare full war on Ukraine, escalating far past the currently dubbed "special operation". Some prominent Russian politicians are loudly calling for an equal response to Ukraine's own "declaration of war" in the attack, according to state media sources:
“The terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge is no longer just a challenge, but a declaration of war without rules,” said Russia’s State Duma on October 8 after an explosion rocked the Kerch Strait crossing earlier this morning.
Speaking to RIA Novosti, Deputy Oleg Morozov said that the explosion was “a blatant terrorist war is being waged against us.”
...if there is no "adequate" response, such acts of aggression would be more likely to occur. “If we keep silent in response and do not give an adequate response, such terrorist attacks will multiply,” he said.
At the same time, many war observers are wondering, is this the start of Zelensky's declared intent to take back Crimea?
By all appearances, Putin is preparing for greater escalation in the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, and after weeks of reports and indicators that Russian lines are being rapidly pushed back in the east and south amid the major Ukraine counteroffensive. On Saturday a new overall commander for Russian forces in Ukraine has been announced. "Russia has appointed a notorious general who opened fire on pro-democracy protesters in the 1990s as its first overall commander for the war in Ukraine, as the Kremlin struggles to halt a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has left its forces in disarray," The Guardian writes.
"The appointment of Gen Sergei Surovikin came on the same day as Vladimir Putin was dealt a humiliating blow after an explosion on the Kerch bridge sank a section of the motorway into the Kerch Strait and caused a major fire on the railway," the publication confirmed. "Surovikin is a veteran commander who led the Russian military expedition in Syria in 2017, where he was accused of using 'controversial' tactics including indiscriminate bombing against anti-government fighters."
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