Kerch Bridge Temporarily Closed After Ukrainian Attack on Crimea, Five Drones Shot Down
Russian authorities halted traffic on the bridge early Friday, while the governor of Sevastopol confirmed the activation of air defenses
Russian authorities halted traffic on the bridge early Friday, while the governor of Sevastopol confirmed the activation of air defenses
Early on Friday, July 31, 2026, the Kerch Bridge linking occupied Crimea to the Russian mainland was temporarily closed to all traffic. The decision came after a series of reports of explosions across the peninsula, while Russian air defenses were activated above Sevastopol at the same time, according to Index, citing the Kyiv Post.
The bridge was closed to road traffic at 00:29 Kyiv time. The Russian information center responsible for the crossing then announced: "Vehicle traffic on the Crimean Bridge has been temporarily suspended." Shortly afterward, residents of Simferopol reported two powerful explosions. The Telegram channel Crimean Wind published testimonies from its subscribers, stating that at 01:55 a new powerful detonation was heard in Sevastopol, and car alarms began sounding in certain neighborhoods.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Kremlin-appointed governor of Sevastopol, spoke via social media to confirm that Russian forces were responding to the attack. "The military is repelling an attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Sevastopol. Air defense and mobile fire groups are operating," Razvozhayev said, as quoted by Index. He added that five drones had been shot down in the Balaklava district.
Traffic across the Kerch Bridge was restored at 02:53 Kyiv time, after approximately two and a half hours of disruption.
The incident is part of an intensified Ukrainian campaign targeting Russian military logistics and energy infrastructure in Crimea. Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces announced that between July 1 and 27 alone, they struck 154 energy targets in Crimea and other occupied territories. In the final weekend of that period, from July 25 to 27, 18 energy hubs were hit, including 14 in Crimea and four in other occupied areas of Ukraine.
According to information from the Telegram channel AMK Mapping, between two and four Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles were also shot down overnight over the Donetsk and Rostov regions, though it is unclear whether they were part of the same operation. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Ukraine should receive extended-range 155mm artillery shells by the end of the summer, which would extend the lethal zone to at least 60 kilometers, and with advanced projectiles to more than 150 kilometers. Kyiv hopes this will pressure Russian forces, protect its own troops, and seriously disrupt supply lines in the south.
