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What happened next?Continue in this file · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline
File · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline

Putin inaugurates the Kerch Bridge road link

On 15 May 2018, Vladimir Putin inaugurates the road section of the bridge connecting Russia to Crimea across the Kerch Strait, four years after Moscow’s annexation of the peninsula.

The structure creates a direct link to Russia’s road network. Ukraine and the European Union condemn construction undertaken without Kyiv’s agreement.

The road inauguration is distinct from railway service. Russian control and bridge construction do not change recognised Ukrainian sovereignty over Crimea.

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What happened before?Continue in this file · Russia–Ukraine: origins, war since 2014 and timeline