THIS is the moment Ukrainian missiles hit a missile launcher and boat in Crimea as they work towards destroying Vladimir Putin’s beloved bridge.
Kyiv also sent drones and bombs after the port, ferry, and an air defence system next to the bridge overnight .
East2WestUkraine launched an attack on Russian-occupied Crimea overnight[/caption]
East2WestFootage caught by locals showed Russian defences working[/caption]
East2WestFire blazed after a Ukrainian strike[/caption]
Ukraine is reportedly seeking to clear the way for a direct strike against the crucial Kerch Bridge, with the Russians fortifying the area.
The £3billion Kerch Bridge links Crimea to the Russian mainland and has been hit by Ukraine before.
One report said eight missiles had been downed – and it is not clear the extent of damage yet.
Residents in Sevastopol, Simferopol, and Kerch heard explosions around 3:30am local time, according to local media reports.
Russia claimed to have shot down least five kamikaze aerial drones and two naval drones.
Footage caught by locals showed the missiles descending to the ground and Russian anti-air defences striking back.
One video captures loud bangs as the Ukrainian missiles explode.
The bridge was closed for four hours amid the 2am assault, resulting in huge queues until it was reopened at 7am this morning.
It was still unclear if the ferry port – used for military transport after earlier strikes weakened the 12-mile bridge – had been damaged.
“No information was immediately available as to the extent of the damage,” reported The Kyiv Independent.
“It was not immediately clear what boat was struck or whether it was a military target.”
The bridge, a major engineering feat, was Putin’s flagship project and the dictator opened the crossing in 2018.
In July last year, the specially developed homegrown marine kamikaze drone called Sea Baby loaded with 850 kg of explosives caused massive structural damage to the Crimean Bridge.
In October 2022, a bomb concealed in a truck exploded on the bridge, causing major damage.
Yet Russia has been able to continue using the crossing and Ukraine has repeatedly vowed to destroy it.
The strikes come as Ukraine advances inside Russia following its surprise offensive last week.
Kyiv is continuing to advance and humiliate Putin with the biggest Russian town captured since World War Two falling.
The Kursk town had a prewar population of 5,000, which would make it Ukraine‘s biggest triumph in Russia so far.
And last night a nuclear-capable Tu-22 bomber jet crashed in a massive fireball in the Irkutsk region, some 3,300 miles east of Moscow.
Footage caught a gigantic explosion that saw an enormous fireball fill the sky as the aircraft came down.
East2WestRussia has built a bridge between the mainland and Crimea[/caption]
East2WestUkraine hit one building in the strike[/caption]
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