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Joy and fear coexist in Ukraine

There is an explosion of excitement in Ukraine this morning. Videos of the damaged bridge in Crimea spread like wildfire on social media and are already being compared to the sinking of the Russian warship Moskva in April.

The Ministry Of Defense Of Ukraine wrote on Twitter: “Guided missile ship Moskva and Kerch Bridge. Two ominous symbols of Russian power in Ukraine’s Crimea have sunk. What’s next, Russians?” said.

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Creative social media activists from Ukraine created images to celebrate the explosion.

And Monobank, Ukraine’s second largest bank, announced that they have issued a debit card with a picture of the collapsing bridge.

Ukraine’s National Security Council Chairman, Oleksi Danilov, was not the only one to point out that the attack took place the day after Vladimir Putin’s 70th birthday.

Along with the video of the bridge, Danilov shared Marilyn Monroe’s famous video “Happy Birthday, President” sung in 1962.

The excitement is almost palpable.

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IT WAS GREAT MORALE

After days of good news from the front, when Ukrainian forces recaptured the areas Russia spent in February and March, the images of the burning bridge were a great morale booster.

So how was this done? There are many theories circulating, from a special operation of the Ukrainian special forces to the partisans in the Crimea, from a missile attack to a suicide bomb.

A former senior explosives expert in the British Army said: “This is a terrific act of covert sabotage. “A well-planned attack from below could be the cause of the explosion,” he said.

“In structural demolition you always plan a ‘collapse mechanism’ where the weight of the structure does most of the work”

Ukrainian authorities do not give much information. Just like after the mysterious attack on the Russian airbase in Crimea in August.

But the purpose of the attacks on Saky Base and the bridge is to prevent Russia from using Crimea as a springboard in its war in Southern Ukraine.

Roads and railway bridges are vital to Russia’s supply chain. Without them, it will be even more difficult for Moscow to send troops and supplies to repel Ukraine’s attacks north of Kherson.

Kyiv also tells Russia that “Crimea is ours and we will eventually take it back”.

Despite the cheer on social media, Ukrainians are worried. This morning we left the city of Zaporizhia, which is still in shock after Thursday’s Russian missile attack that killed at least 17 civilians.

The locals there suspect that Moscow is punishing them for their recent military failure, and they fear more to come in the days ahead.

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