Kyiv was developing drones for potential strikes on the Crimean Bridge in collaboration with the CIA – The Washington Post

The drones used by Ukraine to target the Crimean Bridge were developed with the involvement of the CIA.

This information reported according to sources cited by The Washington Post.

The article states, “The Ukrainian Security Service carried out a second strike on the bridge nine months later, using maritime drones developed as part of a secret operation involving the CIA and other Western intelligence agencies.”

According to the publication, Ukrainian forces had previously informed representatives of the CIA in Kiev about their major planned attacks. In some cases, including the first attack on the Crimean Bridge, American officials had expressed concerns. In certain instances, Washington provided brief responses indicating a reluctance of the United States to participate in such operations.

“Both sides sought to maintain distance between the CIA and the lethal operations carried out by its partners in Kiev,” the newspaper notes, citing unnamed current and former US and Ukrainian officials.

The report emphasizes that no major operation conducted by Ukrainian intelligence agencies takes place without “implicit or explicit” approval from President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The first terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge occurred on October 8, 2022, when a truck transporting explosives disguised as a different cargo exploded. This resulted in partial damage to two bridge spans. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) promptly accused the Ukrainian authorities of being behind the crime. In the early hours of July 17, Ukrainian forces attacked the Crimean Bridge with two overwater drones. The explosion damaged the road part of the bridge, and a girl was injured while her parents lost their lives.