Two people have been killed and their daughter injured in an attack on the Crimean bridge linking the people of the annexed region to Russia following which traffic was halted due to an 'emergency'. Initial reports suggested locals heard sounds of explosions early morning, BBC reported. The bridge was opened in 2018 to enable travel between Russia and Crimea -- Ukrainian territory annexed by Moscow in 2014. The bridge was closed last year after a major explosion.
Russian officials accused Ukraine of being involved in what they termed a "terrorist" attack on the bridge. This comes on the same day that Putin must decide whether or not to extend a UN-brokered deal that allows the export of grain via the Black Sea, Reuters reported.
Even as the Ukrainian military hinted the involvement of Russia itself as means of provocation, the local media cited unidentified sources as saying that Ukraine's Security Service was behind the incident.
Read more: Russia Claims Foiled Assassination Bid Targeting Crimea Head, Suspect Arrested: Report
The couple who was killed was in a passenger car with their daughter. The girl was being treated in intensive care.
"The girl was injured," Vyacheslav Gladkov, governor of the Belgorod region, said in a message on the Telegram messaging app. "The hardest thing is that her parents died, dad and mum. No words can calm the pain of loss here," he said, as quoted by the news agency.
A spokesperson from Ukraine's security service (SBU) has told news agency AFP news agency that they were monitoring the aftermath of the attack. In a written comment to the AFP, Artem Dekhtiarenko said, "We are watching with interest as one of the symbols of Putin's regime once again failed to withstand the military load".
Also Read: Ukraine Strikes Bridge Connecting Crimea to Mainland, Disrupts Vital Russian Supply Route
