The Crimea-Kerch Bridge was built by Putin

[edhopper]

and cost almost $4 billion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crimean_Bridge

The bridge was built by Russia after it annexed Crimea at the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2014. It cost 3.7 billion dollars,[11] has a length of 19 km (12 mi),[d] making it the longest bridge Russia has ever built,[13][e] and the longest bridge in Europe.[15][14][16] Besides transportation, Russia intended the bridge to support its claims to Crimea.[17][18]

The Ukrainians won't need it when they get back Crimea.

[gratuitous]

1. The day after Vlad's 70th birthday

Boy, talk about spoiling someone's party, you dastardly Ukrainians. As for high officials in the Russian government, wouldn't today be a good day to stay on the first floor of any building? Maybe skip afternoon tea, too?

[samsingh]

2. and destroyed by President Zelensky

[mitch96]

3. New Ukraine stamp...

[grumpyduck]

4. Happy Birthday, Vlad. nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. Putin and Russia thought that this bridge was safe from attack

Link to tweet

[Wounded Bear]

9. They forgot the sharks with fricken' lasers on their heads...

[Beetwasher.]

6. An Epic UA Operation

[haele]

7. How much money was skimmed of the construction of the bridge?

I know a bit (not much, granted) about civil engineering from discussions with my uncle back in the 1980's, who was Army Corps of Engineering. The piers of a permanent bridge should not be the first thing to go, because they're supposed to be built not only to handle the weight of the bridge and max traffic, they're supposed to be able to handle being hit by a ship going average speed through that waterway. Bridges are also supposed to be able to handle losing one pier without collapsing an entire section.
As he told me, it should take a barrage of missiles to take out even a section of a properly built concrete and steel bridge.

Even during the Civil War, it was shown that a solid brick and concrete bridge was difficult to take down with explosives, fire, or concussion.

I'm thinking that bridge was substandard to begin with.to sustain that much damage from a "truck explosion and train fire".or that explosion plus a torpedo strike.

Haele

[Irish_Dem]

8. I also wondered about the $3.7 Billion cost.

Seems like a lot of money for a bridge, no matter how big.

Everyone had their hand out it sounds like.

[edhopper]

10. The bridge is 4 kilometers long

in contrast, the Sweden/Denmark Oersund Bridge is 8 kilometers long and cost $18 billion.
The recently built Mario Cuomo Bridge in NY also cost $4 billion. Bridges are expensive.

[Irish_Dem]

11. Thanks for the info.

I had no idea.

[Silent3]

12. It will be a great day when and if that bridge...

...can actually be a useful economic and cultural link between two mutually-respecting independent countries.

For the foreseeable future, however, it needs to be impassable.

[edhopper]

13. That can never happen under Russia's current regime

The Ukrainians were fine without a bridge to Russia when they still had their land in Crimea.

[Silent3]

14. That's why I said IF and when

But at least now it's not out of the question that the disaster this war has been for Russia will bring Putin's regime to an end.

The big question then becomes whether Russia is capable of replacing Putin with a reformer, or just another corrupt strongman.

[Cartoonist]

15. Guess the movie this line is from.

"Bridges are hard, dams are easy."
Spoken by a munitions expert.

[Irish_Dem]

16. Great movie.

I can see the scene where the line is from but cannot remember the name of the movie.