Russian Ministry of Defense: Defeat 28 Ukrainian drones and drones | Russian military | Russian Ministry of Defense
On the 18th local time, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that from the night of the 17th to the early morning of the 18th, the Russian military repelled a terrorist attack launched by Ukraine using 28 drones against related facilities in the Crimea region.
The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that out of the 28 Ukrainian drones mentioned above, 17 were shot down by Russian air defense systems, and the other 11 crashed under electronic interference. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Ukrainian attack did not cause any casualties or damage to facilities.
Deputy Prime Minister of Russia: Partial reopening of the Crimean Bridge and highway bridge
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Husnurin posted on social media in the early hours of the 18th, stating that one lane of the Crimean Bridge Road Bridge is open to traffic. Husnulin previously stated that the two-way traffic plan on one side of the Crimean Bridge will be opened on September 15th, and the two-way traffic plan on the other side will be opened in November.
The Russian side accuses the United States of participating in Ukraine's attack on the Crimean Bridge
On the 18th, Russian State Duma lawmaker Ivlev stated that the United States is responsible for the damage to the Crimean Bridge. Without the navigation support of American satellites, no Ukrainian unmanned military equipment can reach the Crimean Bridge. According to a report by Russian satellite news agency on the 18th, Russian Ambassador to the United States Antonov stated that the United States' response to the Crimean Bridge incident indicates that the United States is sheltering Ukrainian militants and also indicates its involvement in the criminal act of Ukraine attacking the Crimean Bridge.
US officials: The US government's stance does not apply to the Crimean Bridge
On the 17th local time, when asked whether the attack on the Crimean Bridge was an attack on Russian territory, John Kobe, the Coordinator of Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the United States, stated that the US government's stance of not encouraging or allowing Ukraine to launch attacks on Russian territory is not applicable to attacks on the Crimean Bridge.
Britain denies Russia's allegations of involvement in the attack on the Crimean Bridge
According to Reuters, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office denied on the 17th that Russia has accused British intelligence agencies of being involved in the attack on the Crimean Bridge. The First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, Poliyansky, stated on the same day that British intelligence agencies may have been involved in the attack on the Crimean Bridge. He said that we are not yet clear to what extent Western countries, especially the intelligence agencies of the UK, were involved in the preparation and implementation of this attack, and there is too much evidence pointing to this.
On the 17th, the Russian National Counter Terrorism Committee announced that the Crimean Bridge was attacked by two Ukrainian surface unmanned boats in the early hours of the same day, causing damage to the bridge's road surface and affecting traffic. Railway traffic on the bridge was restored on the same day. Russian President Putin stated on the 17th that the attack on the Crimean Bridge was an act of terrorism and that Russia would respond. According to the Ukrainian National News Agency on the 17th, the Ukrainian National Security Agency stated that Ukraine is closely monitoring the development of the situation.
