Putin Allows Russian Military to Block Kerch Strait

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law allowing servicemen and employees of the National Guard of Russia to “block the territories and waters of protected facilities to prevent illegal entry attempts.”

The relevant document was published on the official Internet-portal of legal information on 1 July.

According to the explanatory note to the law, the National Guard protects, in particular, the waters of the Kerch Strait and the Russian-built bridge across it, as well as the waters of the Russian energy bridge with Crimea.

Amendments to the Law “On Troops of the National Guard of Russia” allow the encirclement of these waters when trying to “illegally cross and enter” this water area, and when trying to leave it.

Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine protested against the fact that Russia announced the closure by October 2021 of part of the Black Sea in the direction of the Kerch Strait for warships and state vessels of other countries under the pretext of military exercises.

Later, the U.S. Mission to the OSCE called on Russia to reverse its decision to block the passage of some vessels in the Kerch Strait.

Bohdan Marusyak