Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) announced Monday that it had foiled a planned terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge, an operation believed to have been timed to coincide with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Washington, D.C.
According to the FSB, a Chevrolet Volt carrying 130 kilograms of Finnish-made explosives entered Russia from Ukraine through multiple countries before crossing the Russian–Georgian border at the Verkhny Lars checkpoint. The car was transported on a truck toward the Krasnodar region, where it was to be handed over to an unsuspecting driver. That individual, unaware of the cargo, would have become an unwitting suicide bomber while crossing into Crimea.
The tactic echoed the October 2022 attack on the same bridge, when a truck carrying explosives detonated, killing three people. Investigators at the time also suggested the driver may not have known the vehicle contained explosives.
Since the launch of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, the Crimean Bridge has been a frequent target for Ukrainian attacks. While the structure holds little military value—Russia already controls land routes connecting Crimea to the mainland and has built highways and rail lines—Ukraine and its Western supporters have fixated on the bridge for its symbolic significance. Completed in 2018, it cemented Russia’s claim over Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
The bridge has come under repeated assaults, including missile and naval drone strikes. On June 3, just one day after Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul, Ukrainian operatives reportedly planted 1,100 kilograms of explosives beneath the bridge supports. The blast failed to inflict serious damage, but underscored Kyiv’s determination to target the crossing.
Analysts suggest the latest foiled bombing may have been intended to disrupt renewed peace efforts as Zelensky and European leaders meet with Trump in Washington—or to showcase Ukraine’s ability to carry out strikes deep inside Russian territory.