Russia Quietly Extends Crimea Bridge Repair Schedule

The Russian government has approved a six-month extension of a self-imposed deadline for repairing the Kerch Strait Bridge, which was damaged earlier this month by a Ukrainian naval drone attack.

A cabinet decree uploaded to Russia's official legislative database on Tuesday, and dated to Monday, said the initial July 1, 2023 deadline for repairs to the structure following an earlier attack had been amended to December 31, 2023. The decree was signed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

The document appears to reflect the challenges posed by new damage to the bridge inflicted earlier this month, the second attack on the structure since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

As a key supply route from mainland Russia to the occupied Crimea Peninsula, the Kerch Strait Bridge is a tantalizing target for Ukraine. It is especially so given its political value, as Russian Crimea's lifeline to the motherland and a symbol of President Vladimir Putin's 2014 victory over Ukraine and its backers in the West.

The first attack on the bridge came in October 2022 when Moscow said a truck bomb exploded while crossing the span. The explosion killed three people, collapsed parts of the road bridge, and caused a fire on the parallel rail bridge. Russia blamed Ukraine's intelligence services for the incident. Kyiv did not deny or confirm the allegation but senior officials lauded the attack and hinted at more operations to come.

The same month, Moscow appointed the Irkutsk-based Nizhneangarsktransstroy LLC construction company as its sole contractor to repair the bridge. In late February, the government said the road bridge had been fully reopened to traffic, and by early May had announced the full reopening of the rail bridge.

But the July 17 attack inflicted fresh damage, killing two people and wounding a child. Ukraine's digital transformation minister later confirmed that Kyiv was behind the strike. "Today the Crimean bridge was blown up by naval drones," Mykhailo Fedorov wrote on Telegram. "It is better to act, not to reveal photos of our own production facilities and to supply the defense forces."

The drone operation badly damaged the road bridge, with videos from the scene showing sections sheared off and sloping into the Black Sea below. Putin decried the "terrorist" attack and vowed retaliation. Shortly after, he announced Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Initiative that had been safeguarding grain exports through the strategic body of water.

This decision was accompanied by a renewal of Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure and cultural sites in the coastal city of Odesa, and elsewhere in the south of the country.

Rail and partial road traffic has still been crossing the damaged bridge, with the government expecting full motor traffic to resume by November 1. Newsweek has contacted the Russian Foreign Ministry by email to request comment.