WATCH Putin drive across Crimea bridge in a Mercedes two months after blast

Record ID: 1701016

  • Title: WATCH Putin drive across Crimea bridge in a Mercedes two months after blast
  • Date: 5th December 2022
  • Summary: KERCH STRAIT, CRIMEA (DECEMBER 5, 2022) (RUSSIAN POOL) RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN SEEN IN REAR-VIEW MIRROR / PUTIN DRIVING ON CRIMEAN BRIDGE VARIOUS OF PUTIN DRIVING, LISTENING TO BRIEFING ON REPAIRS FROM DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MARAT KHUSNULLIN PUTIN DRIVING, HEARD SAYING (Russian): "The left side (of the bridge), as I understand, is in working condition, but still it suffered a bit (from the explosion in October) and its condition needs to be ideal, right?" / LISTENING TO KHUSNULLIN REPLY
  • Embargoed: 19th December 2022 15:18
  • Keywords: BRIDGE CRIMEA PUTIN RUSSIA UKRAINE
  • Location: KERCH STRAIT, CRIMEA
  • City: KERCH STRAIT, CRIMEA
  • Country: Crimea
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace
  • Reuters ID: LVA001455805122022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:President Vladimir Putin on Monday (December 5) drove a Mercedes across the Crimean Bridge linking southern Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, less than two months since an explosion tore through one of the Kremlin chief's showcase infrastructure projects.
    The 12-mile (19 km) road and rail bridge, which was personally opened by Putin in 2018, was bombed on October 8 in an attack Russia said was carried out by Ukraine.
    Putin, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, was shown on state television behind the wheel of a Mercedes, asking questions about where the attack took place.
    Putin also walked along parts of the bridge, Europe's largest, to inspect sections that are still visibly scorched.
    Ukraine never claimed responsibility for the bombing of the bridge on the morning of October 8, a day after Putin's 70th birthday. Russia's Federal Security Service said the attack was organised by Ukrainian military intelligence.
    The explosion wrecked one section of the road bridge, temporarily halting traffic across the Kerch Strait. The blast also destroyed several fuel tankers on a train heading towards the annexed Crimean peninsula from neighbouring southern Russia.
    Russia in 2014 annexed Crimea, which was transferred from Soviet Russia to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 by then-Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and recognised by Russia in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR.
    Ukraine has vowed to return Crimea, which relies on the bridge for supplies.
    Putin's ally Arkady Rotenberg's company built the vast structure, which is Europe's longest bridge. Putin has long lauded the project, boasting at one point that Russian Tsars and Soviet leaders had dreamed of building it but never did.
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