A highway bridge located near the city of Melitopol in Russia’s Zaporozhye Region was damaged in an explosion late on Monday, the local authorities have reported. The officials called the incident a “sabotage attack.”
The blast in the region bordering Ukraine took place around 22:00 local time, a statement by Zaporozhye’s administration said, adding that “several pillars of the bridge were damaged.” Traffic across the bridge was halted following the incident, the authorities stated.
Several videos published on social media by Vladimir Rogov, a senior regional official, showed the roadway on the bridge sagging down in at least one place. A loud bang can also be heard on another of Rogov’s videos purporting to show the moment of the blast.
On his Telegram channel, Rogov blamed the attack on Ukrainian “terrorists.”
The bridge is part of a road linking Melitopol to the port city of Berdyansk located on the Azov Sea.
Zaporozhye Region, together with three other former Ukrainian territories, joined Russia after holding referendums this fall.
In late November, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed to have foiled a terror plot in Zaporozhye. The suspects planned to detonate a bomb at a market in Melitopol, according to the FSB. At least three Ukrainian nationals were arrested in connection with the plot.