Russian divers will inspect the damage to the explosion-affected Crimean bridge

Russian divers will investigate damage caused by a powerful explosion on a Russian road and rail bridge in Crimea on Sunday. There was an explosion on the Kerch Strait bridge on Saturday. This bridge served to connect Russia with Crimea.

Russian news agencies quoted Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin as saying that divers would begin work at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT), with a more detailed survey over the waterline expected to be completed by the end of the day.

Russian governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, told reporters, the situation is manageable - it is unpleasant, but not fatal.

He said the peninsula had a month's worth of fuel and more than two months' worth of food. Russia's defense ministry said its forces in southern Ukraine could be "fully supplied" via existing land and sea routes.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and the 19km Crimean Bridge connecting the region to Russia's transport network was opened to great fanfare by President Vladimir Putin four years later.

Kyiv is demanding that Russian forces leave the Black Sea peninsula, as well as the Ukrainian territory they seized in an offensive launched by Putin in February.

The bridge is a major route for the Russian military, which controls much of the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, and the Russian naval port of Sevastopol, whose governor told locals, "Stay calm and don't panic."

It was not yet clear whether the detonation was a deliberate attack, but the damage to such a high-profile structure came amid numerous battlefield defeats for Russia and could further reassure the Kremlin that the conflict was planned. going to be.

Putin signed a decree on Saturday directing tighter security for the bridge as well as the infrastructure that supplies electricity and natural gas to Crimea and ordered an investigation.

Russia's energy ministry said Crimea has enough fuel for 15 days. He said the ministry is working on ways to replenish the stock.

The movement of passenger trains on the bridge has been suspended till further notice by the authorities. President Vladimir Putin has been briefed about the blast and ordered the creation of a government committee to deal with the emergency.

The president of Crimea's Russian-backed regional parliament has blamed Ukraine for the blast. However, he added that the bridge has suffered minor damage and will be repaired immediately.

Vladimir Konstantinov, president of the Crimean parliament, the State Council of the Republic, said on the Telegram app about Ukraine, saying during his 23-year rule that he didn't create anything that could be noticed, but he was involved in damaging the Russian bridge. have been successful.