This 12-mile-bridge in Crimea is a lifeline for Russia's occupation, but attacks and damages are making it a headache for Moscow

• The Kerch Bridge connecting Russia and Crimea was damaged by explosions on Monday morning. 
• The bridge was previously hit in October by an bomb-laden truck and didn't reopen until February.
• The attacks harm Russia's economic, symbolic, and military ties to Crimea, experts told Insider.

The 12-mile-bridge connecting Russia and Crimea is a lifeline for Moscow's economic and cultural interests in the occupied peninsula — but recent attacks have damaged it severely, causing lasting problems for Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Crimean occupation officials.