Russia will block navigation through the Kerch Strait beginning August 28
Russia plans to completely stop navigation through the Kerch Strait from August 28 to 31, 2017 due to the construction of the Kerch Bridge. The corresponding order has been published on the site of the Kremlin-controlled Black Sea Ports Administration.
"Beginning 00:00 local time on August 28 to 00:00 local time on August 31, the navigation of all ships and vessels will be prohibited in the restricted area of construction within the waters of the Kerch Strait, with the exception of ships and vessels of the Navy, ships and vessels of the federal security agencies, and vessels participating in the technological process of building the 'Transport Crossing Across the Kerch Strait'," the document says.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed that Russia's unilateral imposition of restrictions on maritime traffic through the Kerch Strait is another gross disregard for the norms of international law.
The corresponding note of protest has been sent to the Russian side.
In June 2017, it became known that the Ministry of Transport of Russia had prepared a draft order on the closure of the Kerch Strait, specifically regarding the waters of its navigable part of the Kerch-Yenikalskiy Canal, for 23 days in August-September 2017.
The Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea is conducting pre-trial investigations in connection with violations of the environmental safety rules during the construction of the bridge across the Kerch Strait.