Russia tightens control over Kerch bridge before holidays

The Russian authorities have decided to tighten control at the approaches to the Kerch Bridge on the eve of the New Year holidays.

This was reported by Radio Liberty.

To tighten control at the approaches to the Kerch Bridge, the Russian authorities will set up 212 checkpoints between December 26 and January 11. Out of this number, 80 posts will be equipped for manual inspection, which will allow checking up to 17,500 vehicles per day.

Russian officials claim that the inspection infrastructure is capable of handling up to 1,100 vehicles per hour (650 from Taman and 500 from Kerch). The average inspection time for a car will be about 7 minutes, and for a bus - up to 15 minutes.

It is also noted that in November, the Russian authorities, in accordance with the recommendations of the anti-terrorist commission, introduced a ban on the passage of electric vehicles and hybrid cars across the Kerch Bridge from the Krasnodar region.

The Kerch Bridge connects the occupied Crimea with the territory of Russia. This is happening against the background of the fact that since 2022, the peninsula has been attacked by drones and missiles almost daily, although the Russian Defense Ministry rarely confirms hits on military targets.

Earlier, Intent wrote that the occupation forces in Crimea have resumed ferry service across the Kerch Strait, preparing backup routes for the evacuation of equipment and personnel.

This was reported in an interview with oboz.ua by Volodymyr Zablotskyi, a naval expert, columnist for Defense Express magazine, researcher at the National Military History Museum of Ukraine, retired captain of the first rank, in an interview with oboz.ua.

According to Zablotsky, the Russians are aware of the threat of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, and this step is not a sign of logistics, but of preparation for escape. Most likely, the enemy sees the ferry crossing only as a means of evacuation and will no longer risk bringing cargo through it.

Катерина Глушко