A fire broke out on the Kerch Strait Bridge (The Crimean Bridge) connecting Crimea with Russia. A truck was blown up, resulting in the fire of fuel tanks of a train crossing the bridge, TASS informs. Videos on social media show that the automobile section of the bridge appeared to have collapsed. The authorities are investigating the reasons for the accident. The bridge was built after the annexation of Crimea and was officially unveiled by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in May 2018. The Kerch Strait Bridge is a primary supply route for Russian troops fighting in the south of Ukraine, BBC reports.

In an interview with the BBC, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky denied that he had called for a “pre-emptive strike” against Russia, believing that he was misunderstood or translated. Zelensky said he was referring to sanctions, “not attacks”, the BNR’s Horizont channel reports.

"We are not terrorists, we are not fighting on foreign territory," Volodymyr Zelensky said, confirming Ukraine’s intention to fight until it pushes Russian troops from the occupied territory. In his words, Ukraine has recaptured 2,500 square kilometers of land.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund said its executive board had approved Ukraine’s request for USD 1.3 billion in additional emergency funding to help sustain its economy as it battles Russia’s invasion. After the informal European Council in Prague, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France had created a EUR 100 million fund for Ukraine to buy weapons directly from arms manufacturers.