ANKARA (Sputnik) - Russian authorities closed the passage of cargo ships that are loaded in ports outside Russia through the Kerch Strait, the Turkish Directorate-General of Maritime Affairs said on Saturday.

"According to an official notification that we have received from the Russian maritime administration, the passage of ships that were loaded outside the territory of Russia through the Kerch Strait northward... is prohibited," the directorate-general wrote on Twitter.

The Kerch Strait is of high geostrategic importance for Russia. The Kerch Bridge, which was exploded as result of a bombing attack in early October, is located over the strait connecting the Crimean Peninsula with mainland Russia.

https://sputniknews.com/20221112/russia-blocks-passage-via-kerch-strait-for-ships-loaded-abroad-turkish-authorities-say-1104060649.html