In Context
- Recently, the Kerch Bridge which connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula, caught fire due to an explosion sparked by a truck bomb.
About
- The Kerch Strait is a strait in Eastern Europe.Â
- It connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, separating the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea in the west from the Taman Peninsula of Russia’s Krasnodar Krai in the east.Â
- The most important harbor, the Crimean city of Kerch, gives its name to the strait, formerly known as the Cimmerian Bosporus.
- It has also been called the Straits of Yenikale after the Yeni-Kale fortress in Kerch.
Significance for Russia
- Since it is the only direct link between Russia and Crimea, it plays a major role in supplying fuel, food and other key goods to Crimea, which hosts the port of Sevastopol – the historic home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
- It became a major supply route for Russian Forces after the military campaign against Ukraine was launched on February 24, 2022.
Source:LM
