UKRAINE has blitzed Russia’s iconic Kerch bridge with more than a tonne of underwater mines – and hinted there could be more.

The pre-dawn blast sent a plume of water erupting into the sky.

Ukraine’s SBU intelligence service said the blast left the bridge in an “emergency state” after devastating its foundations.

It was at least the third attempt to destroy the key road and rail link from Russia to occupied Crimea.

The same SBU special forces unit behind Sunday’s historic drone strikes in Russia claimed responsibility for the pre-dawn attack.

They claimed their agents spent months mining the substructure of the 12 mile road and rail link.

The SBU said: “The SBU conducted a new unique special operation and struck the Crimean Bridge for the third time — this time underwater.”

They added: “The operation lasted several months. SBU agents mined the supports of this illegal facility.

“Today, without any casualties among the civilian population, at 4.44am in the morning the first explosive device was activated.

“The underwater supports of the supports were severely damaged at the bottom level.”

The claimed the explosion was caused by “1,100 kg of explosives”.

Back in 2018, Russian leader Vladimir Putin proudly inaugurated the Kerch Bridge, highlighting his achievement in successfully bridging the 12-mile Kerch Strait, where previous leaders like Stalin and the Tsars had not succeeded.

Ukraine’s SBU said the bridge was in an “emergency state”.

They said the mission had been personally supervised by their chief Lt Gen Vasyl Malyuk.

He said: “We struck the Crimean Bridge twice in 2022 and 2023. So today we continued this tradition under water.

“There is no place for any illegal Russian facilities on the territory of our state.

“Thus, the Crimean Bridge is an entirely valid target, especially since the opposition utilized it as a logistical channel to equip its forces.”

Military analyst Michael Clarke told Sky News that mad Vlad considers the multibillion-dollar bridge his “pride and joy”.

This follows Ukraine’s special operations-style attacks on four airbases deep within Russian territory, reminiscent of the boldest World War II missions that significantly shifted momentum against the Nazis.

Volodymyr Zelensky oversaw Operation Spiderweb – much like Winston Churchill did as Britain struck deep behind enemy lines.

Putin’s doomsday bomber fleet is now crippled with 41, or a third, of his most prized aircraft lying in smouldering wrecks on tarmac.

Ukraine said the sneak attack was worth $7bn (£5.2bn) in damage to Russia – caused by only 117 cheaply made drones.

Ukraine’s spies spent 18 months putting the plan into action and struck on the eve of fresh peace talks in Istanbul.

June 1 also marked the infamous date Ukraine handed back its last nuclear bomb to Russia 26 years ago.

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.