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Crimea and Sevastopol

Land route to Crimea through Zaporozhye Region safe, operating normally — acting governor

Yevgeny Balitsky said that the attack on the Crimean Bridge was nothing but "another terrorist act of the Kiev regime, a cold-blooded and cynical one"

MELITOPOL, July 17. /TASS/. The land route to Crimea through the Zaporozhye Region is safe and operating normally, regional Acting Governor Yevgeny Balitsky said on Monday.

"Crimea is not cut off from the Russian mainland and cannot be cut off; the land route through the new regions, including through the Zaporozhye Region, is operating as usual. In accordance with the instructions of the Russian government, motor traffic through the new regions is being streamlined to provide the greatest convenience to our citizens. The Zaporozhye Region administration will provide all necessary assistance in this work. The land route is safe, time-tested and reliable," the official wrote on his Telegram channel.

In addition, Balitsky said that the attack on the Crimean Bridge was nothing but "another terrorist act of the Kiev regime, a cold-blooded and cynical one."

Andrey Kozenko, deputy head of the Zaporozhye regional government for economic affairs, told TASS that the region has sufficient stocks of food and fuel. He added that logistics chains for delivery of such vital supplies via Rostov-on-Don and Mariupol are in place. At the moment, the Zaporozhye Region has a basic stock of foodstuffs for one week. The necessary minimum fuel reserve has also been put aside; there are no excessive lines in stores nor any panic buying.

Drone attack on Crimean Bridge

Ukrainian forces used two surface drones to carry out a terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge in the early morning hours of Monday, the National Antiterrorism Committee told TASS. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under the article "Act of Terrorism." The terrorist attack resulted in the deaths of two adults, a married couple from the Belgorod Region, and injuries to their minor child. As well, the bridge’s road surface was damaged.·Traffic on the bridge has been suspended since the morning. Train traffic has already resumed and a ferry crossing is now operating. Passenger cars will soon be able to transit to the mainland from Crimea via ferry, but trucks must take a northern overland detour through the new regions.

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