Russia announced today that the bridge in Crimea, which was damaged by an explosion attack last October, has reopened to full traffic.

(Associated Press)

(Central News Agency) Russia announced today that the bridge in Crimea, which was damaged by an explosion attack last October, is now fully open to traffic.

Russia's announcement came on the eve of the anniversary of the Russian military's full-scale offensive on Ukraine, AFP reported.

Russia has blamed Ukraine for the destruction of the bridge linking Crimea to the Russian mainland, an allegation Ukraine denies.

Please read on...

"All lanes of the Crimean bridge were fully reopened 39 days ahead of schedule," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin was quoted as saying by his press office.

Kusnorin added in a message on the social platform Telegram that the reopening of the bridge was "a great gift for Defender of the Fatherland Day", which is a national holiday in Russia every February 23.

The message added that about 500 workers "worked around the clock" to complete the restoration of the bridge.

However, railway restoration work on the bridge is still in progress.

The bridge in the city of Kerch in Crimea, also known as the Kerch Bridge, is a major transport route for transporting military equipment to Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.

The bridge was partially destroyed by an explosion last October, killing three people.

1120223