Vladimir Putin’s precious bridge linking Russia to Crimea EXPLODES in a massive inferno after Ukraine threatened a strike

VLADIMIR Putin’s precious bridge linking Russia to Crimea has exploded in a violent inferno after Ukraine threatened to attack it.

The Kerch Bridge exploded in a fireball early Saturday when a train passed over it.

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And the blast also destroyed part of a road bridge that runs parallel to the affected railway line – and plunged into the Black Sea.

Extraordinary footage from the scene shows a train, said to be carrying fuel, bursting into flames.

Witnesses reported hearing explosions around 6 a.m. local time, which could be heard for miles.

Both the railway and road bridges are hated symbols of the Russian occupation of Crimea and were important supply routes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The railway line is part of two parallel bridges that cross the Kerch Strait and connect Krasnodar in Russia to Crimea, built by Russia after its invasion and annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The approximately 19 km long road bridge was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, and the railway bridge two years later.

Russian sources are speculating about an underwater drone responsible for the attack on the Crimean bridge, long considered a desirable target by Ukrainians.

Pro-Kremlin war reporter Andrey Rudenko said: “What force did the explosion have to have for a section of the bridge to go under water?

“It is reasonable to assume that the main explosion took place underwater.

“Earlier this year there were reports that the West was supplying Ukraine with underwater kamikaze drones.”

The apparent attack came the day after Vladimir Putin’s 70th birthday.

He demanded immediate revenge on Kyiv.