U.S. Drone Could Be Behind Crimea Bridge Explosion

A drone supplied to the Ukrainian military from the U.S. could have been behind the October 8 explosion on the strategically vital Kerch Strait Bridge that connects Russia's mainland to the annexed Crimean peninsula, an expert analysis recently suggested.

A report published by independent military experts and researchers from Molfar, a global open-source intelligence community, refuted the Kremlin's narrative of the bridge blast and offered possible alternatives.

Russian officials have said that the bridge explosion was caused by a truck bomb. The Kremlin's principal security agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB), claimed on Wednesday morning that the explosion had been planned by Ukrainian military intelligence for months, and said five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia had been detained.

The FSB claimed the explosive device used in the attack was hidden in rolls of construction-grade polyethylene plastic sheeting and was transported in a truck across the bridge.

Ukrainian authorities have not claimed responsibility for the incident.

Analysis by independent military experts note discrepancies in the Kremlin's version of events, including that there was no hole visible in the road surface where the truck exploded, that the truck should have been inspected before crossing the bridge, and that videos of the explosion appear to show multiple explosions, including one that appears to be detonated from below the bridge.

"Theoretically, the bridge could be blown up from below," the Molfar report said. "After all, at the time of the detonation, there was a wave under the section that collapsed, while there was [none] under the others."

"This may be the result of the operation of an air or water drone," the report said.

The report pointed out that in footage from a camera that was attached to the railway part of the bridge, a white object is visible between two pillars, which "moves with [the] water."

"A water drone for special operations was already found near the coast of Sevastopol. It was probably delivered to our Armed Forces from the USA in April," Molfar's report said.

The report also noted a Ukrainian-made drone might have been responsible for the explosion, as Ukrainian aerial drones regularly operate in the Crimea region.

"This version is confirmed by the fact that the roadbed was torn off from its fastenings, but the supporting pillars remain undamaged (because their stability is greater than the road)," the analysis said.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, called the bridge explosion "the beginning" but didn't allude to who was behind the attack.

He later released a statement suggesting that Russians could be behind the blast.

"It is worth noting that the truck that detonated, according to all indications, entered the bridge from the Russian side. So the answers should be sought in Russia," Podolyak said.

Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense for comment.

Update 10/12/2022 1:55 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with a new photo.