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Putin Tries to Boost Morale by Driving a Mercedes Over Bombed Crimean Bridge

He claimed there was only a “little” damage done to the crucial bridge linking Russia’s mainland to the Crimean Peninsula.

Russian President Vladimir Putin took a cruise across the bombed-out bridge linking Russia’s mainland to the annexed Crimean Peninsula on Monday, touting repair works and claiming the critical infrastructure only “suffered a little” in an Oct. 8 explosion. No one has claimed responsibility for the truck that blew up on the bridge but Russia has blamed Ukraine. Dramatic footage showed a fuel train exploding and part of the bridge, which had only been unveiled by Putin in 2018 and was crucial for delivering war supplies, collapsing into the sea. “We are driving on the right hand side,” Putin said from behind the wheel of a Mercedes. “The left side of the bridge, as I understand it, is in working condition, but nevertheless it needs to be completed. It still suffered a little, we need to bring it to an ideal state.” He also walked along some portions, showing sections still scorched from the blast, and spoke to workers who were restoring the 12-mile bridge.

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Rachel OldingSenior Breaking News Editor

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