Russia has detained eight suspects in connection with the deadly explosion on the Crimea bridge, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Wednesday, quoted by the news agency.
The suspects include five Russians, three Ukrainians and Armenian nationals, the statement said.
According to the FSB, the explosives were hidden in 22 rolls of plastic film weighing 22,770 kilograms. In August a boat carrying the rolls left the Ukrainian port of Odessa for Bulgaria. They were later transited through the port of Poti in Georgia and sent underground to Armenia before reaching Russia by road.
The FSB also said the explosives entered Russia on Oct. 4 in a truck with Georgian license plates and arrived in the Krasnodar region on Oct. 6, two days before the explosion.
According to the agency, the terrorist attack was carried out by the Ukrainian secret service. A Kiev agent coordinated the transport of the explosives.
Saturday’s blast on the Crimea bridge killed three people and caused infrastructure damage. The bridge is logistically important for Moscow. Because Russia used it to send military equipment to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
The landmark bridge was inaugurated by President Vladimir Putin in 2018. Ukrainians were seen cheering after the explosion on the bridge. Russia blamed Kiev for the explosion on Sunday. The next day, on Monday, Moscow launched a missile strike across Ukraine. At least 19 people were killed and more than 100 injured.
(October 12)