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Vladimir Putin has accused Ukraine of carrying out the attack on the Kerch bridge linking Crimea to Russia, in what he labelled an “act of terrorism”, raising the prospect of a harsh retaliation.
The Russian president had initially stopped short of blaming Kyiv for the partial destruction of the bridge – viewed widely as symbolic of Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula in 2014 and a key logistical route for his troops waging war on Ukraine.
But on Sunday night Mr Putin said in a video published by the Kremlin: “There is no doubt. This is an act of terrorism aimed at destroying critically important civilian infrastructure.”
“This was devised, carried out and ordered by the Ukrainian special services,” the Russian president claimed.
He was meeting Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee, who was presenting findings of an inquiry into the explosion and fire on the bridge the previous day, which killed three people.
While Ukraine has not claimed responsiblity for the attack, hardliners in Moscow had immediately urged Mr Putin to declare a “counterterrorism operation” in retaliation, shedding the term “special military operation” he has used to downplayed the scope of the war to the Russian people.
Such a move could be used by the Kremlin to further broaden the powers of security agencies, ban rallies, tighten censorship, introduce restrictions on travel, and expand a partial military mobilisation that Mr Putin ordered last month – prompting an exodus of draft-age Russians.
Gennady Zyuganov, the head of the Russian Communist Party, had insisted the “terror attack” should serve as a wake-up call, saying on Saturday: “The long-overdue measures haven’t been taken yet, the special operation must be turned into a counterterrorist operation.”
Such calls for escalation will likely only increase in Moscow following the verdict from inquiry chief Mr Bastrykin, who alleged on Sunday night that Ukrainian special services had carried out the attack, with help from citizens of Russia and other foreign states.
Investigations “have already established the route of the truck” that Russian authorities said set off a bomb and explosion on the bridge, Mr Bastrykin said, claiming that the vehicle – which approached the bridge from Russia – had been to Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia, and the Russian region of Krasnodar.
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