WASHINGTON — Ukraine said it struck and damaged the Crimean bridge on Tuesday, two days after carrying out one of its most audacious assaults of the war deep inside Russia.

In a social media post, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense wrote that several months of planning went into the operation, which was executed by the country’s Security Service.

“Today, at 4:44 a.m., without any civilian casualties, the first explosive device was detonated,” the statement read. “The underwater pillars of the bridge supports were severely damaged at the seabed level — thanks to 1,100 kg of explosives in TNT equivalent. As a result, the bridge is now in critical condition.”

While the full extent of the damage was not yet clear, the agency shared a video of the underwater blast and smoke, as well as a photo showing mangled steel and other debris. 

The bridge — also called the Kerch Bridge — spans 12 miles and links annexed Crimea to Russia. It is a critical pipeline for the Russian military in its war against Ukraine and has symbolic importance for President Vladimir Putin, who attended a ceremony marking its opening in 2018.

Vasyl Malyuk, head of Ukraine’s Security Service, celebrated the operation in a statement. 

“Previously, we hit the Crimean Bridge twice in 2022 and 2023. So, today we continued this tradition underwater,” Malyuk said. “The Crimean Bridge is absolutely a legitimate target, especially considering that the enemy used it as a logistical artery to supply its troops.”

Russia has not yet commented on the attack.