ROSTOV-ON-DON. July 17 (Interfax) - Chairman of the Crimean State Council Vladimir Konstantinov has identified Monday's emergency on the Crimean Bridge as a terrorist attack and said he is confident that its consequences will be eliminated promptly.
"I am sure the consequences of the terrorist attack will be eliminated promptly. And the terrorists will get what they deserve," Konstantinov wrote on Telegram on Monday.
He blamed Kiev for the attack.
"Kiev must have known that the automobile section of the bridge is an exclusively civilian facility. But this has never stopped terrorists. And it never will," he said.
Konstantinov called for calm. "The rail tracks weren't damaged by the strike. Crimea is linked to mainland Russia via a land corridor in the north, and we have a good record of ferry services. We aren't isolated," he said.
Head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov had reported "an emergency" near pillar No. 145 of the Crimean Bridge from the Krasnodar territory's side at 4:20 a.m. Moscow time. Automobile and train traffic across the bridge was suspended. Train traffic has now resumed. Two residents of the Belgorod region were killed, and a child was injured in the accident.
The Russian Transport Ministry said later that the incident damaged the road surface, while the bridge's spans remained resting on the pillars. The authorities called for using an alternative land route via the new regions for the time being.