The Krimbrug was partially destroyed by an attack last Saturday. The explosion and partial collapse of Putin’s prestigious object have caused red heads in the Kremlin ever since. The Russian internal secret service FSB has now provided a first reconstruction of the attack and announced that eight people have been arrested.
According to Ria news agency, the people are accused of having been involved in the preparation of the explosion. Those arrested are said to be five Russian, three Ukrainian and Armenian citizens. The Russian secret service FSB, which is responsible for the investigation, also identified Ukrainian secret service chief Kirill Budanov as the mastermind behind the explosions.
Explosives in construction film
According to the FSB, the explosives were wrapped in construction film and smuggled across the border in disguise on 22 pallets. The explosives are said to have been shipped from Odessa to Bulgaria. The bomb is said to have been shipped from Bulgaria to Armenia and Georgia, the FSB continues. “On October 4, the cargo crossed the Russian-Georgian border with a truck and was delivered to the Krasnodar Territory.”
The recipient was a non-existent company in Crimea. “The pallets were loaded onto a Russian truck, which was blown up on the Crimean Bridge at 06:03 am (local time) on October 8. For coordination purposes, the eight men who have now been arrested have bought online SIM cards under false names,” the FSB continues. The Secret Service data and information cannot be independently verified.
Doubts about the authenticity of the photos
The Russian secret service also published photos and videos that would show the truck before crossing a Russian army checkpoint.
However, there are doubts about the authenticity of these images. A published X-ray shows a different truck than the images from the surveillance cameras. This can be seen on the wheels of the tractor. While the truck has one axle on the X-ray, the one on the camera has two axles.
According to an investigative specialist, there are actually two different trucks, both carrying the bomb. The first photo was taken near the Georgian border. After that, the bomb was transferred to another truck and then transported to the Krimbrug.
Russian authorities said five people were killed in the explosion on the Crimean Bridge on Saturday. The bridge was heavily damaged and can currently only be used for traffic to a limited extent. (see)