Magura naval drones were involved in the attack on the Crimean bridge

A Magura v7 maritime drone armed with anti-aircraft missiles was spotted in the Kerch Strait shortly after the SSU sabotage of the Crimean bridge.

The Russian telegram channel published the video of the interception of the Ukrainian maritime drone..

Russian operators of a reconnaissance UAV spotted an air defense drone with AIM-9M missiles shortly after the SSU blew up one of the bridge’s pillars with a large explosive charge.

The Russian military used a Lancet barrage munition to intercept the target, hitting the nose of the maritime drone, immobilizing it.

The appearance of the drones of the Defense Intelligence may indicate joint actions by the two Ukrainian agencies, where the Group 13 maritime drone unit was assigned support and cover tasks.

Also, the appearance of the drones may indirectly support the version that the Crimean bridge pylons were blown up by an underwater drone rather than a conventional surface charge.

The Security Service reported that the sabotage operation was preceded by several months of preparation, during which the supports of the structure were mined with 1100 kg of TNT equivalent explosives.

It was noted that at 4:44 a.m., the “first explosive device” was activated, which led to damage to the structure.

The published image did not show any serious destructive changes to the bridge roadway as a result of the explosion. Some of the structural elements were deformed and thrown onto the roadway. Nevertheless, the SSU noted that the bridge structure is in a state of disrepair as a result of the sabotage.

In June 2022, the Defense Intelligence received the design documentation for the Crimean Bridge. It probably formed the basis of the SSU operation.