Ukraine President says citizens ‘look forward to summer with invaders’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday made an apparent reference to the Kerch bridge explosion, describing Crimea as “cloudy but warm”.

“Over most of the territory, it was about 20 degrees Celsius and sunny. Unfortunately, it was cloudy in Crimea although it was still warm,” Zelensky said in his evening video address.

He added that Ukrainians are looking towards a sunnier future “without invaders”, particularly in Crimea.

A powerful blast damaged Russia’s road-and-rail bridge to Crimea earlier on Saturday, hitting a prestigious symbol of Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula and the key supply route to forces battling to hold territory captured in southern Ukraine.

The explosion, for which Russia did not immediately assign blame, prompted gleeful messages from Ukrainian officials but no claim of responsibility.

Zelensky also said in the video statement that fierce fighting continues in Ukraine’s east and south, but troops are holding positions in Donbas, “particularly in the Bakhmut direction.”

Explosions hit bridge linking Russia to Crimea: Trent Murray