The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Grinds On

"[The Ukrainian government is a] terrorist organization."

"We must blow up their houses and houses of their relatives, search and eliminate their accomplices."

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head, Russian Security Council

 

"The peninsula is used by the Russians as a large logistical hub for moving forces and assets deep into the territory of Ukraine."

"Of course, any logistical problems are additional complications for the occupiers."

Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence department

 

"Russia will only have one ground supply line — the coastal highway on the Sea of Azov — to sustain [or evacuate] its tens of thousands of troops in occupied Kherson and Crimea if UKR manages to degrade/destroy the bridge."

George Barros, analyst, Washington-based Institute for the Study of War

 

"We are not afraid. We were approached by companies that own ships."

"They said that they are ready, if Ukraine gives it['s assent], and Turkey continues to let it through, then everyone is ready to continue supplying grain." 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Russian investigators and emergency services members gather near a destroyed car on the damaged section of a road following an alleged attack on the bridge that connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula across the Kerch Strait. (Investigative Committee of Russia/Reuters)

What could possibly be more risibly ironic than a regime that unaccountably amassed its military on the border of a neighbouring country -- then gave the order to advance and invade and occupy that country and in the process bomb its towns and cities, its civilian infrastructure including schools and markets and hospitals and shopping centers -- calling the invaded country struggling to regain its own traditional territory, a 'terrorist' regime. Sanctimony on steroids.

But then of course, there is the prior example of Syria's Bashar al-Assad who chose to bomb and poison his own population in a sectarian/tribal conflict where the majority Sunni Syrian population asked for equal treatment with the minority Shia population, earning the description of 'terrorists' when they fought back against a government that sent its war planes to strafe their markets and bomb their hospitals. Which just incidentally, Russia in support of the regime's Alawites, sent its warplanes on bombing missions against the Sunni Syrians as well.

Practise runs, actually for Russia's decision to invade and attempt to destroy Ukraine. The rehearsal went far more smoothly than the command performance which the Kremlin felt should take but a few weeks to achieve the purpose designed, to increase the geographic holdings of the Russian Federation. Now, for the second time, in the occupied Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula the bridge that Moscow built as a supply route from Russia to Ukraine has been targeted for a disruption in its service to the Russian military.

 

Another view shows damage to the Kerch Bridge connecting the Russian mainland and Crimean peninsula over the Kerch Strait. (Ostorozhno Novosti/The Associated Press)

 

For the second time in the space of a year the Kerch bridge has seen vehicle traffic come to a standstill. The impact of two maritime drones designed for major damage to the bridge succeeded in temporarily halting rail traffic across the 19-kilomtre bridge span. According to Ukrainian Security Service spokesman Artem Degtyarenko, how the "bang" was organized would be revealed by his agency once Kyiv has sent the Russian military packing back across the border, bringing the war to its ignominious end for the Russian army.

In October of 2022 when a truck bomb blew up two of the sections of the bridge there were months of repair before the bridge was operational. That assault was, as far as Moscow was concerned, an act of terrorism that merited retaliation that kept much of Ukraine freezing in the dark with Russia's bombarding of the country's civilian infrastructure to target the country's power grid over-winter. Proving the true meaning of terrorism in Moscow's pursuit of committing war crimes.

Russian crews were shown via video picking up debris from the deck of the bridge where a section was sloping to one side. Authorities were inspecting the damage on the way to determining how long repairs to the bridge would take. The $3.6 billion bridge, the longest in Europe, is critical for resupply of Russia's military operations in southern Ukraine. Occasional sabotage and other attacks against the Russian military has been launched ever since Russia expanded its military forces in Crimea.

Hours after the attack on the bridge, Russia announced its plans to delink from cooperation permitting the export of Ukrainian grain to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia during the war. At the same time saying that decision bore no relation to the bridge attack. Dmitry Peskov speaking for the Kremlin, announced the Black Sea Grain Initiative would be suspended until Russia's demands for its own food and fertilizer are met to feed world demand.

Yet even while Moscow complains restrictions on shipping and insurance have hampered its agricultural exports, record amounts of wheat have been shipped out since last year "When the part of the Black Sea deal related to Russia is implemented", Peskov said, "Russia will immediately return to the implementation of the deal." Marking the end of an accord brokered by Turkey and the UN last summer, allowing food to leave the Black Sea region in the face of a global food crisis.

As major global suppliers of wheat, barley, sunflower oil and other food products relied upon by developing nations, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a hugely deleterious effect on food scarcity and high prices, seeing more people pushed into poverty. Even without Russian safety assurances, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy stated his intention to keep the initiative of shipping out Ukraine's food products, in full operation. 

A grain ship in the port of Chornomorsk on Ukraine's Black Sea coast  Istock