Last weekend, the Kerch bridge, Russia’s only direct link to Crimea, was bombed by Ukraine. The attack was a major logistical blow to the Kremlin, which relied on the bridge to transport troops and war materiel to the southern front in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by accusing Ukraine of “terrorism” and launching missile attacks against infrastructure targets across Ukraine.

But Putin’s accusation is absurd. When transportation infrastructure is requisitioned for war, it becomes a legitimate target for attack, a fact Russia has tacitly acknowledged through prior bombardment of Ukrainian bridges. The Kerch bridge was built by the Kremlin and opened in 2018, four years after Russia illegally annexed Crimea. It symbolized Moscow’s intent to control Crimea in perpetuity through tighter physical and economic ties. When Putin launched his full-scale invasion in February, the bridge was used to transport troops and weapons to Crimea quickly, allowing the Russian military to march northward and occupy most of Ukraine’s southern coast. Considering these factors, the Russians anticipated that the Kerch bridge would be attacked and prepared extensive defenses accordingly, including anti-air systems, radar jammers, and anti-sabotage boats.