Moscow claims that two Ukrainian missiles have struck a bridge linking Russia and the annexed Crimean peninsula.

There are videos on social media showing plumes of smoke rising near the Kerch bridge. In a statement, the Russian defence ministry said that S-200 missiles were used and shot down without causing any damage.

The Ukrainian government has not commented on the alleged attack.

In the past few months, the bridge has been targeted by at least two other attacks.

Kerch bridge was opened in 2018 and enables road and rail travel between Russia and Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

During the Russian occupation of parts of southern Ukraine, it is an important resupply route.

According to Russia’s defence ministry, Ukraine targeted the structure on Saturday around 13:00 (10:00 GMT).

The missiles used were S-200s, which were originally designed to destroy enemy aircraft but were apparently adapted for ground attacks.

In the meantime, the country’s foreign ministry said “such barbaric actions… will not go unpunished”.

On Saturday, Russia reported shooting down 20 Ukrainian drones near the peninsula.

According to Aksyonov’s adviser, the smoke was an intentional “screen” generated by the military.

It would be the latest attack on the bridge by Ukrainian forces, although neither the weapon nor the attack has been confirmed by Kyiv.

Euromaidan Press reported last month that converted S-200 missiles were used to attack the bridge and two military targets in Rostov and Bryansk.

An explosion struck the bridge last month, killing two people and injuring another.

A source in Kiev’s security service told BBC Russian that water-based drones were used in the attack. Kiev has not officially confirmed it carried out the attack.

According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the bridge was a legitimate military target that supplied Russia with ammunition on a daily basis.

“This is a target for us, and a target that is bringing war, not peace, must be neutralized,” he said.

There is still no explanation for the explosion on the bridge in October.

Several cars and lorries made their way across the bridge as a huge fireball erupted.

It took until February for the bridge to be fully reopened after being partially closed for so long.

Ukraine has repeatedly stated it intends to retake Crimea and all territories seized by Russia since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

As Kyiv presses its summer offensive against Russian forces in the east of the country, military operations around the bridge appear to be increasing.

As his Western-equipped forces face Russia’s well-prepared defensive lines, Zelensky has conceded that progress has been “slower than desired.”.

The Kremlin and a tower block housing government ministries have also been struck by drones, which Moscow blames on Ukraine.

Despite not confirming the operations as Ukrainian, Mr Zelensky said that “gradually, the war is returning to Russian territory… this is a natural, inevitable, and absolutely fair process.”

Last week, Russian missile strikes destroyed a blood transfusion centre in Kharkiv and a residential area in Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine.