Putin drives throughout Crimea bridge in a Mercedes

President Vladimir Putin on Monday drove a Mercedes throughout the Crimean Bridge linking southern Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula, lower than two months since an explosion tore by means of one of many Kremlin chief’s showcase infrastructure tasks.

The 12-mile (19 km) highway and rail bridge, which was personally opened by Putin in 2018, was bombed on Oct. 8 in an assault Russia stated was carried out by Ukraine.

Putin, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, was proven on state tv behind the wheel of a Mercedes, asking questions on the place the assault occurred.

“We’re driving on the precise hand facet,” Putin stated, as he drove throughout the bridge. “The left facet of the bridge, as I perceive it, is in working situation, however nonetheless it must be accomplished. It nonetheless suffered somewhat, we have to carry it to a great state.”

Putin additionally walked alongside components of the bridge, Europe’s largest, to examine sections which are nonetheless visibly scorched.

Ukraine by no means claimed accountability for the bombing of the bridge on the morning of Oct. 8, a day after Putin’s seventieth birthday. Russia’s Federal Safety Service stated the assault was organised by Ukrainian army intelligence.

The explosion wrecked one part of the highway bridge, quickly halting visitors throughout the Kerch Strait. The blast additionally destroyed a number of gas tankers on a prepare heading in direction of the annexed Crimean peninsula from neighbouring southern Russia.

Russia in 2014 annexed Crimea, which was transferred from Soviet Russia to Soviet Ukraine in 1954 by then Soviet chief Nikita Khrushchev and recognised by Russia in 1994 after the collapse of the USSR.

Ukraine has vowed to return Crimea, which depends on the bridge for provides.

Putin’s ally Arkady Rotenberg’s firm constructed the huge construction, which is Europe’s longest bridge. Putin has lengthy lauded the venture, boasting at one level that Russian Tsars and Soviet leaders had dreamed of constructing it however by no means did.