Russians Have Expanded the List of Restrictions on the Kerch Bridge

There are currently six main restrictions in place on the Kerch Bridge—ranging from a ban on trucks to a ban on photos and videos. This fall, Russia added new restrictions.

This is reported in an article by Krym.Realii.

Since October, vehicles with trailers have been banned from crossing the Kerch Bridge if their combined gross weight exceeds 3.5 metric tons. Such vehicles are turned around and rerouted through the so-called land corridor in the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Also, starting this fall, restrictions have been placed on tow trucks. Only passenger cars or special Category B tow trucks are allowed to cross the bridge. Only one car without a trailer may be transported on the flatbed. Commercial cargo and vehicles already prohibited from crossing the bridge may not be transported.

Among other restrictions is a ban on truck traffic, introduced after the attack on the bridge in October 2022. Starting in November 2025, electric vehicles and hybrids will also be barred from crossing the bridge. At that time, minibuses and vans without passenger seats—which are used for cargo transport—were also banned from crossing.

Another restriction applies to passengers: taking photos or videos on the Kerch Bridge is prohibited. This restriction is part of the security measures implemented by the Russian authorities.

On November 9 and 10, Russian authorities announced manual inspections of all vehicles coming from Taman because the X-ray scanner was not working.

According to Anatoly Tsurkin, head of the “Association of Freight Carriers and Forwarders of Crimea,” even when the inspection systems are working, the wait in line to enter Crimea can last up to 38 hours. Places in these lines, he said, cost between 15,000 and 30,000 rubles.

Ірина Глухова