Russia and now what? “Nuclear games” in the words of Putin – Pressure from the Ukrainians

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In Moscow, fanatics are calling for a quick and tough response after the strike on the Crimean bridge, while Kyiv reiterates its demand for Western countries to send more anti-aircraft systems.

By Athena Papakosta

We are in the 8th month of the Russian invasion in Ukraine. THE Vladimir Putin he is playing nuclear games with words and the Ukrainian army continues to push with the help of western weapons in the east and south.

The Crimean Bridge, the symbol of the peninsula’s annexation to Russia, was struck at dawn on Saturday, a day after Vladimir Putin’s birthday. The prestige of the Russian president was also hurt one day and a little later he decided to break his silence. He already had in front of him the head of the Russian Investigative Committee investigating the incident and in his hands the results of her… efforts.

“There is no doubt. It is about for a terrorist act with the aim of destroying critical urban infrastructure. The perpetrators, perpetrators and principals are the Ukrainian secret services.”

For Kyiv, the pride of the Russian president, it has always been a “legitimate” military target. That too because it is the hated symbol of the annexation of the peninsula to Russia. However, despite the celebrations, Ukraine has not claimed responsibility.

The timeline of the explosion

In the footage from the security camera, a vehicle and a truck are moving in tandem on the Kerch Bridge highway towards Ukraine.

A few meters above, on the railway bridge, a train loaded with fuel passes.

There is an explosion. Huge flames suffocate everything and part of the road network sinks. The time is 06:07 am on Saturday.

The Russian side announces that “there was an explosion of a vehicle rigged with explosives, which caused a fire in seven carriages of a train heading to Crimea”. Putin issues a decree ordering the secretive FSB to tighten security measures.

The dead are three while Ukrainian media and Kyiv officials are playing video of the truck being checked before Russian authorities allow it to cross the bridge.

What the attack on the Kerch bridge means for Putin

In May 2018 – four years after the annexation of the peninsula – the first Russian president crosses the Crimean bridge driving a… truck. Europe’s longest bridge was a fact. He declares that “this work was from the time of the tsars” and the Russian Media christens it “the work of the century”.

With a length of 19 kilometers, it is the longest bridge in Europe. Its construction cost 3.6 billion dollars and the purpose of this was to serve the geopolitical goal of Moscow: the connection of the peninsula with Russia.

In this “special military operation”, as Russia calls it, the Crimean bridge is proving vital as it is used by Moscow to send equipment to Russian troops operating in Kherson and Zaporizhia.

Crimea has seen strikes in recent months, such as an explosion at an ammunition depot at the Dzhankoy military base in August, which caused widespread destruction. The Kremlin, however, assured that the bridge is safe. At the same time, he had made it clear that if Ukrainian forces tried to hit her, then there would be retaliation.

Massacre in Zaporizhia

In the early hours of Sunday, Zaporizhia is targeted again within three days. This time with 12 Russian missile strikes. The dead are at least 17. Among them are also children who were sleeping at the time of the attacks, while dozens are also injured. Five apartment buildings were leveled, while a nine-story building was damaged.

The Russians are hitting the city they themselves have christened Ukrainian through “referendums – annexation”.

And now; The data

In Moscow, fanatics are demanding a quick and tough response, while Kyiv is repeating its request to Western countries to send more anti-aircraft systems.

The American president Joe Biden is on the phone with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. In the hour-long phone call the two leaders agreed to continue supporting Ukraine “to restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity” while also maintaining sanctions pressure on Russia. Earlier, the White House had declined to comment on the explosion but announced that it would continue to supply weapons to Ukraine.

At the same time, Ukraine says it has recaptured 1,170 square kilometers of territory in the Kherson region, in the south, after launching its counter-offensive at the end of August. But none of these areas are safe yet. At the same time, the Ukrainian military is engaged in fierce fighting for control of Bakhmut, in the east, and experts acknowledge that the Ukrainian advance will begin to slow down as it encounters more resistance.

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