Kerch Strait

On Sunday, a major international incident took place at the Kerch Strait which connects Crimea with mainland Russia, when a Russian border patrol ship stopped three Ukrainian Navy vessels from passing through the narrow waterway. The Russian authorities have accused the Ukrainian ships of illegally entering its territorial waters without prior notice, and instead attempting to force their way through. According to reports, Russian officers repeatedly hailed the Ukrainian vessels but calls were ignored by the Ukrainian Navy.

SEVASTOPOL, CRIMEA — Seemingly out of nowhere, Ukraine nearly declared war on Russia over the weekend after a confrontation in the Kerch Strait, which straddles Crimea and the Russian mainland, between Ukrainian naval boats and Russian authorities that resulted in Russia seizing three Ukrainian navy vessels and 24 Ukrainian sailors.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko is imposing martial law after his country’s ships faced off with Russian ships near Crimea. The Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovnaya Rada, has at this time not yet signed off on this order, but they are expected to do so.
The martial law status will be in effect from November 26 to January 26, about sixty days.

Via RT…

The waters near the Crimean peninsula were the site of a tense standoff between Russian and Ukrainian ships that involved a chase, some gunfire, and fighter jets, followed by strong statements from Moscow and Kiev.

The Crimean Bridge, which will finally join mainland Russia from Krasnodarsky Krai, to the Kerch region of Crimea is about to be finished. The bridge spans the Kerch Strait, not far from the beautiful pink salt lakes.

According to RT: