Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree ordering the FSB secret service to tighten controls over the Crimean bridge that was damaged by a huge blast earlier on Saturday.
"The FSB will be given powers to organize and coordinate protective measures for the transport route across the Kerch Strait, for the Russian Federation's power bridge to the Crimean peninsula and the gas pipeline from the Krasnodar Territory Crimea," the decree says.
It is the Kremlin's first measure after the blast, which appeared to have been caused in an attack on the structure built by Moscow following its annexation of Crimea.
Responsibility for the security of the bridge was split between three parties up until now, according to Russian lawmaker Alexander Chinstein. The Defence Ministry monitored the airspace, the Rosgvardiya National Guard handled maritime surveillance and the car and railway routes were controlled by the Ministry of Transport.
Before the Kremlin issued the decree, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov offered his units to guard the bridge in future.
