Putin drove across a newly fixed bridge to Crimea that was blown up. It is the closest he's come to his war in Ukraine.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin drove across a newly repaired bridge in Crimea on Monday.
• The Kerch Bridge was rocked by an explosion on October 8, causing significant damage.

It's been over nine months since he started his devastating war in Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin has yet to visit the front lines. He is getting a bit closer though.

On Monday, Putin drove across a newly repaired bridge to the occupied Crimean peninsula that was blown apart a couple months ago. It's the closest he's come to the bloody conflict that has cost the lives of tens of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian troops, as well as numerous civilians.

The Russian leader drove on the Kerch Bridge, which was damaged by a truck bomb in early October, and spoke with workers and government officials who are involved in the repair process, according to the Associated Press. Agence France-Presse reported that Putin's visit on Monday came as the bridge re-opened to traffic.

Videos circulating on social media purportedly showed Putin driving what appeared to be a Mercedes car with an unidentifiable passenger in the seat next to him. Footage published by a Kremlin media pool also showed the Russian leader walking on the bridge. Insider was unable to immediately verify the imagery.

The bridge, which connects Crimea with mainland Russia, was rocked by an explosion early on October 8 — just one day after Putin's 70th birthday — leaving several people dead. The blast caused a section of the westbound lane to collapse, while damaging part of the eastbound lane and a rail bridge.

Moscow blamed Kyiv for the incident, although Ukraine did not immediately take responsibility. The 12-mile-long bridge, which is the longest in Europe, was built after Putin illegally seized Crimea in 2014 and was touted both by the Russian leader and his state media as a major achievement. As for its involvement during the ongoing war, the bridge was used by Russian troops to move military equipment.

Putin's visit to the bridge on Monday marked the first known appearance he's made to a location somewhat close to the war that he started in late February. Not only has he kept his distance from the war, but he has even kept war-related engagements at a distance on the domestic front, often meeting with world leaders and Russian officials at very long tables.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, by contrast, has made numerous visits to communities along the war's front lines — including newly liberated cities and towns.

Putin's visit to the bridge to Crimea comes as Russian forces gamble big on their defense of territory in the Kherson region just north of the occupied peninsula. Recent satellite images show Russia has fortified positions along critical ground lines of communication like roads and highways, instead of focusing on open territory, as Moscow tries to hold ground in the face of Ukrainian advances.