The road section of its Russian bridge Crimeawhich was destroyed in the autumn by an explosion attributed to Ukraine, was put back into operation today, the deputy prime minister of the Russian government announced, on the eve of the first anniversary of the Russian attack on the neighboring country.

“The car section of the Crimean bridge has been fully restored,” Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusmulin wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

He stated that “workers worked around the clock to complete the work in 4.5 months, completing the site 39 days ahead of schedule.”

It is a “great gift”, as he described it, as the Russia today celebrates Defenders of the Fatherland Day.

In its railway section bridge work continues and it is not due to reopen before the summer.

THE explosion of a trapped truck in early October at this project, which symbolizes for the Kremlin its power and annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, was a humiliation for Russia, although Ukrainian authorities still deny that they attacked the bridge.

The explosion on the Crimean bridge, which killed three people, sent shockwaves through Russia: the fact that an infrastructure so critical and also so far from the front could be destroyed was a major slap in the face for Moscow.

This expensive concrete bridge, built on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin to connect the annexed peninsula with Russian territory, is mainly used to transport military equipment for the Russian army fighting in Ukraine.