Russia bans passage through Kerch Strait into Azov Sea for vessels loaded outside country

Russia has banned the passage of vessels loaded outside the country through the Kerch Strait into the Azov Sea, Russia’s state news agency TASS reports, citing the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs of Turkey’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry.

“According to the official notification we received from Russia’s Maritime Administration, the passage of vessels loaded outside the territory of Russia to the north through the Kerch Strait, which provides a passageway into the Azov Sea, is prohibited,” the ministry states.

There has been no official confirmation from Russia as of now.

Earlier today, traffic on the Crimean Bridge was halted due to technological works. The restrictions imposed on vehicle movement will be enforced until 4PM. The Krasnodar region authorities have recommended drivers to avoid travel today.

In the morning of 8 October, an explosion occurred on the Crimean Bridge, as a result of which a freight train carrying flammable materials caught fire, while the bridge partially collapsed. Four people were killed in the explosion, Russia’s authorities previously said, including the truck driver, and three people inside a passing-by car, one of them, according to TASS, was Sergey Maslov, the judge for Moscow’s Arbitration Court.

On 9 October, Vladimir Putin called the Crimean Bridge explosion “a terrorist attack against Russia’s essential infrastructure” and accused Ukraine’s intelligence of preparing the attack.