Putin reacts to Crimean Bridge blast

More than a day into an explosion that severely damaged a strategic bridge connecting mainland Russia and temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian President Putin spoke up, calling the incident a "terrorist attack" and blaming the Ukrainian “special services.”

That’s according to RFE/RL, Ukrinform reports.

"There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack aimed at destroying Russia’s critically important civilian infrastructure. The masterminds, executioners, and those who ordered this are the special services of Ukraine," Putin said during a working meeting with the head of Russia’s Investigative Committee Oleksandr Bastrykin.

In turn, Bastrykin said that "citizens of Russia and foreign nationals who helped in plotting the terrorist attack" were also involved in what happened.

According to the top investigator, the route of the truck that allegedly blew up on the Crimean Bridge lay through Bulgaria, Georgia, Armenia, North Ossetia, and Krasnodar Territory. The investigative committee is probing the explosion as a terrorist attack.

Meanwhile, Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov denounced as incorrectly set out the question of whether the explosion on the Crimean Bridge falls under the scope of Russia's nuclear doctrine.

"No. The question is set out totally wrong," he said, answering the question of whether Putin's words mean that the "terrorist attack" on the Crimean Bridge was aimed at destroying Russia’s critical civilian infrastructure implies the possibility of Russia using its nuclear potential, and whether the incident falls under the scope of the country’s nuclear doctrine.