It is hard to verify, and I am sure Putin would like everyone to think the strike was pointless.
This was a senseless crime from a military point of view, the president said, because the bridge had not been used for military transportation for some time. It came with a lot of attempts to reassure the Russian public in between that everything would return to normal as soon as possible, that anyone affected would be appropriately looked after, that security around the bridge and alternative routes in and out of Crimea would be ensured. This time we heard a lot more, beginning with what seemed like a rebuke from the president that the Kerch bridge should have been hit for a second time, and ending with a threat to Ukraine that there would be a response. Generally the Kremlin broadcasts the first couple of minutes or so where the president tends to say something bland like 'there is much to talk about' and the rest is discussed behind closed doors. It is not often the public get to see much of Vladimir Putin’s security council meetings.
