06 04 25 POLITICO reporter Jack Detsch discusses Ukrainian attack on Crimea bridge

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
David Kale and Chad Bauer in for Marty and Gina
this Morning Now on Colorado's Morning News. Russia saying there's
no damage to the Crimea bridge, the Security Service of
Ukraine claiming responsibility for an attack on that span.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
The explosive device detonated under the bridge yesterday. SBU claims
the explosions severely damaged the underwater supports of the piers.
Joining us now on the KOA Common Spirit Health hot
Line to talk about all things Ukraine as political defense,
Reporter Jack Detch and Jack. Before we get to the
bridge thing, let's go back to what happened on Sunday
with the drone strike on Russian airfields. Now that it's

(00:38):
been a few days, what more information is emerging about
how much damage Ukraine might have inflicted to Russia.

Speaker 3 (00:44):
Yeah, that's right. The Ukrainians calling this operation Spider's Web.
This was at least one hundred and seventeen drones attacking
an airfield in far away Russia, launched within Russian borders.
So SBU agency, the Ukraine in Secret Service, got over
the border, were able to launch these hundreds of drones

(01:04):
towards this Russian airfield, taking out at least thirteen bombers
from Western estimates. Ukrainian estimates go much further to forty
one bombers. But either way you look at it, these
are billion dollar assets. Potentially seven billion dollars of Russian
bombers wiped out, and this will be helpful for the
Ukrainians in protecting their skies in the future. These bombers

(01:27):
were firing cruise missiles. Caliber cruise missiles from within Russia's
borders were difficult to intercept for the Ukrainians, so that
makes the case that it's very helpful for Ukraine's air defense,
which it has precious bullets to defend.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
To the bridge Jack, why is this bridge so important?
We know it connects Russia with the peninsula and has
only been open for about seven years, but why is
it so crucial?

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Well, it's a symbol, of course of Russia's illegal andication
of Crimea dating back to twenty fourteen, and Russia's desire,
of course to reset the agenda in Crimea and the
Ukrainian occupied areas since since twenty twenty two and really
claim them as Russian now as Ukraine ships away at

(02:17):
the Kirch Straight Bridge, which this is one of several
attacks they've launched against it since the twenty twenty two war.
It sort of erodes that narrative and erodes confidence of
Russians living in this area because part of Vladimir Housan's
strategy within Ukrainian occupied areas, especially Crimea, has been to
bring more Russians over the border, bring more Russians to

(02:40):
live in those areas. Now it becomes a little bit
more of a difficult proposition when these places aren't necessarily safe.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
Talking with Politico's Jack Detch about what's going on now
between Russia and Ukraine, Jack, Ukrainian delegation is in the
US meeting with US senators. What is that meeting going
to cover.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, andre Yermak and one of Ukraine's prime ministers in
town this week. Yermak, of course, Zelinsky's right hand man
on Capitol Hill, meeting with senators like Mitch McConnell, Jean Shaheen.
So really just trying to continue the drumbeat of support
for the Ukrainians. Now. It certainly doesn't seem like another

(03:22):
Ukraine spending package from the Congress or from the Trump
administration is imminent, but any support they can get in
terms of American weapons because that was, of course very
critical after the twenty twenty two war, and also just
maintaining some sort of leverage at the negotiating table. Ukrainians
are starting to feel, especially after the Zelensky meeting in

(03:42):
March when relations really took a tumble, things are a
little bit back on the up and up, with the
success of Operations Spider Web, and also just the decline
in relations between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in terms
of the true social post that he's been putting out
and the frustration of the White Houses. These talks aren't
going well, so Ukraine looking to capitalize on that and

(04:05):
potentially get the United States back in or fold.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Here, Jack, I want to go back to some of
those drone bombings of Russian bombers that you referenced earlier.
We have reports some came twenty five hundred miles inside
Russian territory in Siberia. About a third of some of
Russia's more specialized fighter jets were hit. Is this evidence
that Ukraine is becoming more aggressive? Have we seen Ukraine

(04:28):
attack inside Russian territory to this.

Speaker 3 (04:31):
Point, Yeah, they've they've struck inside of Russian territory several
times already using long range drones, so that's not out
of the norm. What's interesting is the range and sophistication
of this attack, the ability of the Ukrainians to plot
attacks within Russian soil. Of Course, the Russians, claiming this
is a terrorist attack to the Russians, may use that

(04:52):
narrative that this is Ukraine becoming increasingly aggressive. The Ukrainians,
of course trying to at least get some symbolance of
deterrence to dissuade the Russians from staging attacks on their
cities a by these long range attacks. Of course, they
don't have American crust missiles, they don't have Tomahawks, they
don't have things to range Russia, and they don't have
permission to fire Western weapons into Russia. But they can

(05:15):
fire their own weapons into Russia, and maybe that gives
them a little bit of a bargaining chip.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Here, Politico Defense reporter Jack Detch, we always appreciate the
time to talk to us here on Colorado's Morning News.

Speaker 3 (05:26):
Thanks so much, Thank you so much.