What is the 'Keurim Bridge'... Why Putin Even Cancelled the Grain Agreement

Unilateral Agreement Termination... Putin Expresses Anger
Crimean Bridge Promoted as a Symbol of Territorial Restoration

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced a retaliation policy regarding the attack on the Crimean Bridge in Russia. Russia has pointed to Ukraine as the mastermind behind the attack on the Crimean Peninsula, raising concerns about large-scale airstrikes on major Ukrainian cities. Russia's unilateral declaration to terminate the Black Sea Grain Initiative has also shaken the global grain market.

According to Russia's Sputnik News on the 17th (local time), President Putin stated at a government countermeasure meeting regarding the Crimean Peninsula attack, "Another terrorist act was carried out targeting the Crimean Bridge. The bridge road was severely damaged," and added, "The Russian Ministry of Defense is preparing proposals for retaliation against this terrorist attack."

He continued, "This crime is meaningless and cruel from a military perspective," emphasizing, "Because the Crimean Bridge has not been used for military transport for a long time." President Putin ordered government officials, "I want specific proposals regarding the future security of the bridge."

He also asserted that the mastermind behind this incident would be thoroughly investigated. President Putin said, "I have instructed the Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Federal Investigative Committee to conduct a thorough investigation into this incident," and expressed confidence that "all circumstances will be identified."

Earlier that day, the Crimean Bridge was attacked twice, leading to a suspension of traffic. Sergey Aksyonov, head of the Crimean Autonomous Republic government, stated on Telegram, "Traffic crossing the Crimean Bridge has been suspended due to an emergency," and reported, "An emergency incident occurred at the 145th support area from Krasnodar."

Following President Putin's hint at retaliation, Russia officially declared the termination of the Black Sea Grain Initiative and began economic retaliation measures. The Black Sea Grain Initiative had been maintained and continuously extended for a year since last year, and it was expected that Russia would declare an extension at the last minute before the negotiation deadline this time as well, but it was terminated.

Analysts suggest that President Putin's anger over the attack on the Crimean Bridge played a significant role in Russia's decision to terminate even the grain agreement, which had been promoted on humanitarian grounds.

According to CNN, the Crimean Bridge is the longest bridge in Europe, with construction plans established in 2014 after Russia forcibly annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, and it opened in 2019. The construction cost alone was $3.7 billion (approximately 4.68 trillion KRW), and President Putin showed deep interest by personally attending the opening ceremony.

The bridge has been highly valued by the Putin administration as a symbol of reclaiming the homeland Crimean Peninsula. During the current Ukraine war, it has been used as a route to transport food and supplies from mainland Russia to Crimea.

The Russian government regards this attack as the work of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a press briefing that day, "The Russian Investigative Committee has launched an official investigation into the terrorist act carried out by Ukraine," and added, "President Putin has also been briefed on this terrorist attack."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.