Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky denied that Ukraine carried out the Kerch Bridge bombing, “as far as I know,” leaving room for the possibility that it could have been carried out without his knowledge.
Zelensky made his first direct statement about culpability for the attack on the bridge that connects the Crimean Peninsula and Russia in an interview with Canada’s CTV. Previously, only his close advisers had commented on the attack, which was widely celebrated in Ukraine, birthing celebrations, murals, and even a postage stamp. Presidential advisers joined in the celebrations online and praised the attack but stopped short of directly claiming credit for the attack. Zelensky offered a somewhat straightforward denial when directly asked about the attack but left the possibility open that other parts of his government could have conducted the attack.
“We definitely did not order that, uh … as far as I know,” he said with a pause and shrug.
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Zelensky’s government, the military, and intelligence all operate somewhat autonomously, with their interests sometimes differing, as seen through such moves as Zelensky’s July purge of several intelligence chiefs. Some figures within the government have urged Zelensky to exert greater control over the intelligence and military, Politico reported. Such internal rifts open the possibility that elements of the military or intelligence, or even certain elements within Zelensky’s government, could have conducted such an operation without Zelensky’s knowledge.
Despite Zelensky’s denial, several of his closest advisers offered statements that seemed to hint at Ukrainian involvement in the blast in the immediate aftermath.
“Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled,” top presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak tweeted cryptically soon after the attack with an attached image showing the aftermath of the bombing.
Crimea, the bridge, the beginning. Everything illegal must be destroyed, everything stolen must be returned to Ukraine, everything occupied by Russia must be expelled. pic.twitter.com/yUiSwOLlDP
— Михайло Подоляк (@Podolyak_M) October 8, 2022
The Ukrainian minister of foreign affairs, Dmytro Kubela, appeared to have confessed that Ukraine bombed the bridge in a prank call from Russian pranksters Vovan and Lexus, posing as former U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul, TASS reported.
“But if you ask me who is blowing something up in Crimea or Belgorod, in private, I will tell you that, yes, it’s us,” Kubela said.
Kubela hasn’t acknowledged the call, and the two pranksters are known to almost exclusively target enemies of the Kremlin. Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova publicly awarded the duo a secure desktop phone used for government communications as a reward for their work in June.
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The truck bombing, targeting a key supply artery from mainland Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, killed at least three civilians and has been presented as a terrorist attack by Russia. The Kremlin used the blast as a justification to ramp up its war efforts in recent weeks.
