Kerch Strait Ferry Service Resumes Operation After Temporary Halt

The work of the ferry service across the Kerch Strait, which separates Crimea from Russia’s Krasnodar Territory has been resumed after a temporary suspension due to bad weather, the Main Directorate of the Russian Emergencies Ministry informed in a statement.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The work of the ferry service was suspended on Thursday amid heavy winds, according to the Emergencies Ministry.

"On December 9 the Kerch ferry service operations were resumed," the Friday statement says.

The Kerch Strait connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. A bridge crossing the Kerch Strait to connect the Crimean peninsula with mainland Russia, proposed by the Russia government, is expected to be constructed by 2018-2020.

Crimea, Russia's historical southern region, seceded from Ukraine to rejoin Russia in March 2014, when an overwhelming majority of the peninsula residents voted in favor of the move in a referendum.

In August 2014, the Russian government approved a federal program aiming to boost the dynamic development of the region, its transport and social infrastructure, and improve the quality of people’s lives.