Alexander Bastrykin, the head of Russia's Investigative Committee, at a televised meeting, reported preliminary findings of an inquiry into Saturday's explosion of a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea.
The fire and blast on the bridge over the Kerch Strait, a key supply route for Moscow's forces in southern Ukraine, had prompted gleeful messages from Ukrainian officials.
Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and Putin inaugurate the 19-km bridge with great fanfare in 2018.
Transcript of the televised meeting:
Vladimir Putin: Alexander Ivanovich, I know that investigators from the Investigative Committee have been working for more than a day to investigate the event that took place early yesterday morning on the Crimean Bridge. There are already preliminary data from the investigation, and I would ask you to report on the results.
Alexander Bastrykin : Dear Vladimir Vladimirovich, our investigative team of the Main Investigation Department, experts, forensic experts, arrived at the scene very promptly. With the participation of explosives specialists, forensic experts examined the scene in detail, made preliminary reasonable conclusions.
We initiated a case under Clause 2 of Article 205 "Terrorism", and this is confirmed by the data of the initial stage of the investigation. Many witnesses and eyewitnesses have been interrogated, and special expert studies have been launched and largely completed - these have been explosive, genetic, forensic examinations. Relevant instructions were given to the FSB and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia to conduct operational-search activities.
We have already established the route of the truck which caused the explosion - it passed through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia and Krasnodar Territory. In addition, carriers have been identified - persons who participated in arranging the movement of this truck. With the help of FSB operatives, it was possible to identify suspects from among those who could prepare a terrorist attack, and people who operate on the territory of the Russian Federation.
In addition, we continue expert investigation in terms of clarifying the goals and objectives of this attack. It is definitely terrorist in nature. This is an act of terrorism. All our data from the initial stage of the investigation today allow us to draw an unambiguous conclusion - this is a terrorist attack that was prepared by the Ukrainian special services, and the purpose of this terrorist attack was the destruction of a large civilian infrastructure facility of crucial importance to the Russian Federation, especially to Crimea.
Vladimir Putin: I understand.
Here, as you have just reported, there is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack aimed at destroying the critically important civilian infrastructure of the Russian Federation.
Alexei Bastrykin: Quite right.
Vladimir Putin: And the initiators, performers, and masterminds are the secret services of Ukraine.
Alexander Bastrykin: Ukrainian special services and citizens of Russia and foreign countries who helped prepare this terrorist attack.
Vladimir Putin: Thank you.
