The SBU said the operation against the bridge had been planned for several months and involved the equivalent of more than a metric tonne of TNT, which it said had “severely damaged” the base of the bridge supports.

In October 2022, a truck exploded on the bridge, while in July 2023, the SBU said it had blown up a part of the bridge using an experimental naval drone. Both times, Russia repaired the damaged sections.

Road traffic on the bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula had been temporarily suspended, Russian authorities said on Telegram on Tuesday. Russian state media reported it had been closed to traffic for about four hours.