Russian leader
Vladimir Putin
is vowing retaliation today
after Ukrainian forces
unleashed a pre-dawn dawn
strike on the bridge
that connects Crimea to Russia.
Sources tell CNN two
Russians were killed in the attack.
It is the second such one
on the strategic and symbolic
12 mile crossing
since the start of the war.
Putin was quick to label
today's strike as a, quote,
terrorist attack.
This comes
the same day that Russia has ended
a deal critical
to the world's food supply.
The Black Sea
Grain Initiative
officially expires in less than an hour.
This will likely
stop the flow of supplies from
what is commonly referred
to as Europe's breadbasket.
It is a decision that could tip millions
throughout the world and to hunger.
CNN's Alex
Marquardt is in the southern Ukrainian
port city of Odessa
for us, as Russia insists
it will overcome
Ukraine's latest bridge strike,
a brazen strike on Russia's
bridge that links it to the illegally
annexed Crimean Peninsula.
The roadway, a mangled mess
after Ukrainian sea
drones targeted it just before dawn.
At least two people,
Russian parents of a small girl,
were killed in the attack
according to Russian officials.
The child was injured.
Traffic on the critical highway
grinding to a halt.
The trains temporarily stopped
Ukrainian radio
in Moscow to watch the tonight.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
called it a terrorist attack.
He's a stalker, vowing
there will be a response
and that the Russian military
is preparing options.
New satellite
imagery shows extensive damage
from the blast.
A section of the bridge knocked out.
Russian authorities
now say it won't be fully functional
until November.
Ukraine quickly
claimed that it was behind
this secret operation.
A rare admission
saying it was a joint operation
by Ukraine's navy
and security services
which cryptically tweeted
the bridge was sleeping.
Again,
a reference
to a huge explosion in October last year
as a fuel truck exploded on the 12 mile
19 kilometer long bridge,
igniting a passing train.
We've seen
Putin then called it an act of sabotage
appearing on the bridge
when it was reopened two months later,
a direct strike
on his nearly $4 billion project
Spicy began
by connecting Russia to Crimea
that he personally inaugurated in 2018.
It has become a vital supply route
for both the Crimean population
and the Russian military's
fight in southern Ukraine.
Ukraine sees the bridge
not just as a ripe
but highly symbolic target.
Hours after the blast,
Russia announced
it is pulling out
of the international agreement
that allows Ukraine to ship
green to the world.
Today's decision
by the Russian Federation
will strike a blow to
people in need everywhere.
But it will not stop our
efforts to facilitate
unimpeded access to global markets
for food products and fertilizers
from both Ukraine
and the Russian Federation.
Russia claims
the deal only benefited
Ukraine
while its own food
and fertilizer have been blocked.
The decision was not connected,
Russia said, to the bridge attack.
The last green ship sailed from Odessa's
port on Sunday.
A United Nations official tells CNN
that Russia's announcement appears final
and Jake.
The United Nations has severely
criticized this, the global community
calling it unconscionable.
That is the word of U.S.
Secretary of State
Antony Blinken, who went on to say
that Russia is responsible
for denying food to people
who desperately need it.
Global, widespread condemnation.
As for that bridge attack, Jake.
Vladimir Putin says he says he wants work
to restore it to begin immediately,
but it won't be back up and running
until mid-September.
At the earliest,
according to a senior Russian official.
And that's just half the roadway.
It won't be fully operational
until three and a half months from now.
The beginning of November
This was a significant attack
by Ukraine Jake.
Alex Marquardt in Odessa for us,
thank you so much.
Let's talk more about this bridge attack
with retired U.S.
Brigadier General
Steve Anderson,
who was most recently in charge
of Army
logistics, readiness,
weapons sustainment and war reserves.
General Anderson,
thanks so much for being here.
So Russia's been nearly
$4 billion building the 12 Mile
12 Mile Bridge
after it illegally annexed
Crimea in 2014.
Putin said
today that the bridge attack
had no military significance.
I find that hard to believe.
Is that true? It's not true at all, Jake.
Absolutely.
I mean, the hits just keep on
coming from Vladimir Putin.
I mean, this is just another chink
in the armor.
I mean, we had this mutiny
three weeks ago with Prigozhin
and we
hear more and more about insubordination
within the ranks at senior
levels of the general officers
in the Russian military.
And now you've got
an attack on this bridge right here,
the longest bridge in all of Europe built
five years ago
with great fanfare by Vladimir Putin.
So to attack
this is strategically
and politically very, very significant.
Now, operationally,
probably not that significant.
I think they're probably going to be able
to repair this
within a week or two, perhaps.
It's not quite as significant
as the attack
that occurred back in October.
But nevertheless,
you know, anytime
you can stop logistics
in flowing in to Crimea
and to resupply the troops
up there in the north,
this is a very, very good day
for the Ukrainian army.
And what type of weapon was used
and what might that reveal?
About Ukraine's capabilities?
Weeks into this counteroffensive?
Well, Jake, this reveals an awful lot.
I mean, this is essentially
a surfboard on steroids.
I mean, think about this thing
traveling at about 80 kilometers an hour
with about 200
kilograms of explosives on it.
And what they were able to do
was use this device
and go about 500 kilometers
all the way out here
undetected by the Russian Navy.
I mean, that's a very significant thing
that shows
that they think the ability
now to conduct deep strikes
against the Russians.
And that puts all the Russian
navy at risk.
I mean, any any ship
that's out here in the Black Sea
now could potentially be targeted
by the Ukrainians
who shown themselves
to be incredibly resourceful,
incredibly intelligent
and resilient
in putting weapons
like this into the war.
And there are new concerns about
a deteriorating security situation
in the Black Sea
after Russia pulled out of this
green deal,
which removes guarantees
for safe navigation,
for ships carrying
grain that is, you know,
needed all over the world.
Which which parts of the Black Sea
are you looking at
and watching most closely?
Well, probably
the port of Odessa is right here.
And, of course, Istanbul's down here.
So they're going to
this is the quickest shipping route.
But they're going to try to, of course,
conduct some kind of a blockade
all the way across here.
The Crimea to stop
any of these grain shipments
from getting down.
But we can't let that happen.
Jake, I've been in Ukraine
and I've seen the incredible
agricultural wealth of this camp,
this this country.
They are the breadbasket
for the Eastern Hemisphere.
We've got to make sure that this grain
gets through there.
Now, what today's attack indicates
is that when they try to conduct
this blockade,
they're going to be able to
the Ukrainians target
a lot of the
these ships that are out
there are these battleships
and the destroyers are out there.
They're going to try to interdict
these shipments
and conduct
this kind of military blockade
of the Port of Odessa.
We can't let that happen.
Go back to the bridge for one second,
if you would.
I just want to
talk a little bit,
if you would,
about the psychological effect
the the hitting the strike on this
this bridge will have on on
Vladimir Putin or is having on him,
because he he's really
he loves this bridge. Absolutely.
I mean, they built it.
This is a huge psychological.
I mean, obviously, it shows
the Ukrainians are still in this fight
and they have the capability
to conduct deep strikes.
But it's showing once again
that his army is not as good as it is
or he wants it to be.
He's had a lot of problems
here over the last couple of weeks.
This is another psychological blow
to Vladimir Putin.
I really think the walls are starting
to close in on Vladimir Putin.
This is another indicator of that, Jake.
All right,
General Anderson, thank you so much.