People watch the fuel tanks as they burn on the Kerch bridge in the Kerch Strait, Crimea, October 8, 2022. (Reuters)

“The terrorist attack on the Crimean Bridge is no longer just a challenge, but a declaration of war without rules,” said Russia’s State Duma on October 8 after an explosion rocked the Kerch Strait crossing earlier this morning.

Speaking to RIA Novosti, Deputy Oleg Morozov said that the explosion was “a blatant terrorist war is being waged against us.”

“Moreover, the long-announced terrorist attack on the Crimean bridge is no longer just a challenge, it is a declaration of war without rules,” he said, adding that if there is no "adequate" response, such acts of aggression would be more likely to occur.

“If we keep silent in response and do not give an adequate response, such terrorist attacks will multiply,” he said.

Earlier, head of the Crimean parliament Vladimir Konstantinov said that "Ukrainian vandals managed to reach the Crimean Bridge with their bloody hands. They now have something to be proud of: for 23 years of their management, they failed to build anything worthy of attention in Crimea, but they managed to damage the canvas of the Russian bridge."

Immediately after the incident, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered that a governmental commission be formed to investigate the explosion of the bridge.

In August, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the country will return to "Russian-occupied Crimea" in whatever way it sees fit, without consulting with other countries, Ukrinform reported.

"We know what we are doing. We know where military facilities or warehouses are located in the temporarily occupied territories. The Ukrainian military can work there according to the plan," he added.

Commenting on whether Crimea can return to Ukraine's control politically and diplomatically or with military assistance, Zelensky stated: "We do not choose which way we will put an end to this issue."