REUTERS
Putin once again asserted that Ukraine allegedly threatened to "blow up" the bridge.
President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin claims that the bridge across the Kerch Strait does not hinder navigation and neither does Russia create obstructions to free navigation in the area.
"As for the Kerch Straits, this is a difficult situation, a natural one. There are very narrow straits, and they are quite shallow, some 13 meters deep. There has always, almost always, been pilotage – I'd like to emphasize this. And the construction of the bridge doesn’t prevent anything there, in fact. Pilots still assist navigation there, just as they did previously," Putin told an annual press conference in Moscow, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
“The trade turnover, freight traffic, including in the ports of the Azov Sea, are growing. It’s all been worked out there, and all participants in this economic activity know how it's done. There’s a line: it can be longer or it can be shorter,” Putin added.
Vladimir Putin then once again asserted that Ukraine allegedly threatened to "blow up" the bridge.
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“Naturally, we cannot allow this. It would be just ridiculous from our side,” Putin said.
At the same time, he said that Russia is ready to adhere to the agreements of 2003 on cooperation with Ukraine in using the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait "and not to declare any unilateral actions."
"As for the warships, it is necessary to constantly be in contact with our border guards. They ensure the border regime there. And amid martial law, I can hardly imagine warships darting here and there. But in general , we would like to see everything normalize. We do not obstruct [navigation], including [for] the warships," said Putin.
UNIAN memo. On May 15, Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the Kerch Bridge. Immediately after the illegal annexation of Crimea, Putin spoke of the need to build a crossing in the Strait of Kerch. The project was due to be completed in 2018 and put it into operation in the summer of 2019.
The presence of the bridge had a negative impact on the operations of the Ukrainian ports in Mariupol and Berdiansk, since not all ships are able to pass under the new construction.