View source for Kerch Strait

{{short description|Strait connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov}}
{{redirect|Cimmerian Bosporus|the ancient state|Bosporan Kingdom}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Kerch Strait
| image              = Kerch Strait, Ukraine, Russia, near natural colors satellite image, LandSat-5, 2011-08-30.jpg
| caption            = August 2011 landsat satellite photo
| image_bathymetry   = 
| caption_bathymetry = 
| location           = 
| coords             ={{coord|45|15|N|36|30|E|type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
| type               = 
| depth              = {{convert|18|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| inflow             =
| outflow            =
| catchment          =
| basin_countries    =
| length             = {{convert|35|km|abbr=on}}
| width              = {{convert|15|km|abbr=on}}
| min_width          = {{convert|3.1|km|abbr=on}}
| islands            = [[Tuzla Island]]
<!--      Map      -->
| pushpin_map             = Europe#European Russia#Crimea#Russia Krasnodar Krai
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_alt         = map of Europe
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
}}
[[File:Locatie Straat van Kertsj.PNG|thumb|Location of Kerch Strait]] 
The '''Kerch Strait'''{{efn|{{langx|ru|link=no|Керченский пролив|Kerchenskiy proliv}}; {{langx|uk|Керченська протока|Kerchenska protoka}}; {{crh|Keriç boğazı}}; {{langx|ady|Хы ТӀуалэ}}}} is a [[strait]] in [[Eastern Europe]]. It connects the [[Black Sea]] and the [[Sea of Azov]], separating the [[Kerch Peninsula]] of [[Crimea]] in the west from the [[Taman Peninsula]] of [[Russia]]'s [[Krasnodar Krai]] in the east. The strait is {{convert|3.1|km|mi}} to {{convert|15|km|mi}} wide and up to {{convert|18|m|ft}} deep. The most important harbor, the Crimean city of [[Kerch]], gives its name to the strait, formerly known as the '''Cimmerian Bosporus''' or '''Straits of Taman'''. It has also been called the '''Straits of Yenikale''' after the [[Yeni-Kale]] fortress in Kerch. 

[[Taman, Russia|Taman]], the most important settlement on the Taman Peninsula side of the strait, sits on [[Taman Bay]], which is separated from the main Kerch Strait by the [[Chushka Spit]] to the north and the former [[Tuzla Spit]] to the south; the Tuzla Spit is now [[Tuzla Island]], connected to the Taman Peninsula by a 2003 Russian-built {{convert|3.8|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} dam, and to mainland Crimea by the [[Crimean Bridge]] opened in 2018. A major cargo port is under construction near Taman.

==History==
===Greek and Roman records===
[[File:Map of Colchis, Iberia, Albania, and the neighbouring countries ca 1770.jpg|thumb|The "Cimmerian Bosphorus" of antiquity, shown on a map printed in [[London]], {{circa|lk=no|1770}}.]]
{{See also|Bosporan Kingdom}}

The straits are about {{convert|35|km|sp=us}} long and are {{convert|3.1|km|sp=us}} wide at the narrowest and separate an eastern extension of [[Crimea]] from [[Taman Peninsula|Taman]], the westernmost extension of the [[Caucasus Mountains]]. In [[classical antiquity|antiquity]], there seem to have been a group of islands intersected by arms of the [[Kuban River]] (''Hypanis'') and various [[sound (geography)|sounds]] which have since silted up.<ref name=EB1911>{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Bosporus Cimmerius|volume=4|pages=286–287|first=Ellis|last=Minns|author-link=Ellis Minns}}</ref> The Romans knew the strait as the '''Cimmerian Bosporus''' (''{{lang|la|Cimmerius Bosporus}}''<ref>Pliny I, ''Nat.'' 4.28; Ammianus 31.2.21.</ref>) from its Greek name, the '''Cimmerian Strait''' ({{lang|grc|Κιμμέριος Βόσπορος}}, ''Kimmérios Bosporos''), which honored the [[Cimmerians]], nearby [[steppe]] [[equestrian nomads|nomads]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=hJEWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA350 Anthon, Charles (1872) "Cimmerii" ''A Classical Dictionary: Containing an Account of the Principal Proper Names Mentioned in Ancient Authors'' (4th ed.) pp. 349–350].</ref> In ancient times the low-lying land near the [[Strait]] was known as the [[Maeotic Swamp]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://everything2.com/title/Hun |title=Hun |website=Everything2.com |access-date=2016-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.maravot.com/Etruscan_Phrases_e.html |title=Etruscan_Phrases, research providing new insight into Indo-European languages |website=Maravot.com |date=2009-02-13 |access-date=2016-03-01}}</ref>

The Cimmerian Bosporus in ancient times was regarded as separating Europe from Asia, just as the Thracian Bosporus did.<ref>Gourova, N. (2014). [https://www.academia.edu/10185170/What_did_Ancient_Greeks_mean_by_the_Cimmerian_Bosporus_ "What did Ancient Greeks mean by the “Cimmerian Bosporus”?"]. AWE, 13, 29-48; page 31.</ref> Most geographers, such as [[Posidonius]], [[Strabo]] (''[[Geographica]]'' 11.7.4), and [[Ptolemy]], considered the boundary between Europe and Asia to be the river Tanais ([[Don (river)|Don]]), which flows into the Sea of Azov from the north; an alternative view, found in the poet [[Cornelius Gallus]] was that it was the river Hypanis ([[Kuban (river)|Kuban]]), which flows into the Sea of Azov from the east, close to the Cimmerian Bosporus.<ref>Dan, Anca. (2016). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317000219_The_Rivers_Called_'Phasis' "The rivers called Phasis"]. ''Ancient West & East'', 15, 245-277; pages 263–4).</ref>

===Early modern period===
[[File:Cimmerian Bosporus, or Straits of Taman, looking towards the Black Sea Cimmerian Bosporus, or Straits of Taman, looking - Clarke Edward Daniel - 1810.jpg|thumb|Views of the Cimmerian Bosporus, or Straits of Taman, as drawn by [[Edward Daniel Clarke]] {{circa|lk=no|1801}}]]
The Kerch Strait was a nearby site of a major [[naval battle]] (that became known as the [[Battle of Kerch Strait (1790)|Battle of Kerch Strait]]) in the [[Russo-Turkish War (1787–1792)]]. It was fought in 1790 and ended in Russian victory.

===Second World War===
In the [[Second World War]], the Kerch Peninsula became the scene of much desperate combat between forces of the [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Red Army]] and [[Nazi Germany]]. Fighting frequency intensified in the coldest months of year when the strait froze over, allowing the movement of troops over the ice.<ref>Command Magazine, ''Hitler's Army: The Evolution and Structure of German Forces'', [[Da Capo Press]] (2003), {{ISBN|0-306-81260-6}}, {{ISBN|978-0-306-81260-6}}, p. 264</ref>

After the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] stabilized in early 1943, [[Hitler]] ordered the construction of a {{convert|4.8|km|mi|adj=on}} road-and-rail bridge across the Strait of Kerch in the spring of 1943 to support his desire for a renewed offensive to the Caucasus. The cable railway ([[aerial tramway]]), which went into operation on 14 June 1943 with a daily capacity of one thousand tons, was only adequate for the defensive needs of the [[17th Army (Wehrmacht)|Seventeenth Army]] in the [[Kuban bridgehead]]. Because of frequent [[earth tremor]]s, this bridge would have required vast quantities of extra-strength [[steel girders]], and their transport would have curtailed shipments of military material to the Crimea. The bridge was never completed, and the [[Wehrmacht]] finished evacuating the Kuban bridgehead in September 1943.<ref>''[[Inside the Third Reich]]'' by [[Albert Speer]], Chapter 19, pg. 270 (1969, English translation 1970)</ref>

In 1944 the Soviets built a "provisional" railway bridge ([[Kerch railway bridge]]) across the strait. Construction made use of supplies captured from the Germans. The bridge went into operation in November 1944, but moving ice floes destroyed it in February 1945; reconstruction was not attempted.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ru:Мост через пролив |trans-title=Bridge across the strait |url=http://www.kerch.com.ua/articleview.aspx?id=1277|work=KERCH.COM.UA|publisher=KERCH.COM.UA|access-date=22 March 2014|language=ru|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510085415/http://kerch.com.ua/articleview.aspx?id=1277|archive-date=10 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Post-war ferry service===
{{main|Kerch Strait ferry line}}
After the war, [[Kerch Strait ferry line|ferry transportation]] across the strait was established in 1954, connecting [[Crimea]] and the [[Krasnodar Krai]] ([[Port Krym]] – [[Port Kavkaz]] line). Originally there were four [[train ferry]] ships; later three car-ferry ships were added. Train transportation continued for almost 40 years. The aging train-ferries became obsolete in the late 1980s and were removed from service. In the autumn of 2004, new ships were delivered as replacements and train transportation was re-established. The ferry line stopped operations in late 2020.

===Dispute and naval treaty of 2003=== 
A territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine in 2003 centred on [[Tuzla Island]] in the Strait of Kerch. Ukraine and Russia [[Treaty Between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on Cooperation in the Use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait|agreed]] to treat the strait and the Azov Sea as shared internal waters.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ecolex.org/details/treaty/agreement-between-the-russian-federation-and-the-ukraine-on-cooperation-in-the-use-of-the-sea-of-azov-and-the-strait-of-kerch-tre-149547/ |title=Agreement between the Russian Federation and the Ukraine on cooperation in the use of the sea of Azov and the strait of Kerch |website=www.ecolex.org |language=en |access-date=2018-11-27}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://people.ucalgary.ca/~amcewen/Azov-Kerch.pdf |title = Russia – Ukraine Boundary in the Sea of Azov and Kerch Strait |url-status = dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140514090446/http://people.ucalgary.ca/~amcewen/Azov-Kerch.pdf |archive-date=May 14, 2014 |first = Alec|last = McEwan}}</ref>

===Storm of November 2007===
[[File:Strait of Kerch.jpg|thumb|View from the Crimean coast in 2003]]
On Sunday, 11 November 2007, news agencies reported a very strong storm on the [[Black Sea]]. Four ships sank, six ran aground on a sandbank, and two tankers were damaged, resulting in a major oil spill and the death of 23 sailors.<ref>{{cite web |lang=fr |url=http://fr.rian.ru/russia/20071128/89927827.html |title=Marée noire: plus de 33.000 t de déchets pétroliers ramassés sur les plages du détroit de Kertch |trans-title=Oil spill: more than 33,000 t of oil waste collected on the beaches of the Kerch Strait |website=fr.rian.ru |date=28 November 2007}}</ref>

The Russian [[oil tanker]] {{MV|Volgoneft-139||2}} sought shelter in the Kerch Strait from the above storm.<ref>{{cite news |last=Baldwin |first=Chris |title=Russia Tries to Contain Oil Spill, Save Seamen |url= https://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSL12303712 |publisher=Reuters |date=12 November 2007 |access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> In the storm, the tanker broke in two, releasing more than 2,000 tonnes of fuel oil. Four other ships sank in the storm, resulting in the release of sulphur cargo. The storm hampered efforts to rescue crew members.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fuel spill disaster reported in waters near Russia |url= http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/11/11/russia.spill/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=11 November 2007 |access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Irshenko |first=Arkady |title=Russian oil tanker splits in half |url= https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7089317.stm |publisher=BBC News |date=11 November 2007 |access-date=23 May 2010}}
</ref>
Another victim of the storm, the Russian cargo ship ''Volnogorsk'', loaded with sulphur, sank at [[Port Kavkaz]] on the same day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://lenta.ru/news/2007/11/11/second/ |title=В порту "Кавказ" затонул сухогруз c серой |trans-title=In the port "Kavkaz" a dry cargo with ash sank |work=[[lenta.ru]] |date=11 November 2007}}</ref>

===Russo-Ukrainian War since 2014===
{{main|Russo-Ukrainian War}}
[[File:Kertši väin.jpg|thumb|View northwest from [[Tuzla Island]] towards [[Port Krym]] in 2014. The strait is about 5 km wide at this point.]]
Russia and Ukraine agreed to guarantee each other freedom of navigation for ships of both nations in a [[Treaty Between the Russian Federation and Ukraine on Cooperation in the Use of the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait|2003 naval treaty]].
Since the start of the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]] and the [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexation of Crimea]] in 2014, however, Russian forces have forcibly established a new status quo, now being the straits' sole controlling power.

====New bridge and naval blockade====
{{main|Crimean Bridge}}
[[File:Крымский мост (Росавтодор) 3.jpg|thumb|Crimean Bridge in 2019]]
Moscow mayor [[Yuri Luzhkov]] campaigned for a highway bridge to be constructed across the strait. Since 1944, various bridge projects to span the strait have been proposed or attempted, always hampered by the difficult geologic and geographic configuration of the area. Construction of an approach was actually started in 2003 with the {{convert|3.8|km|mi}}-long dam, provoking the 2003 [[Tuzla Island]] conflict.<ref>The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition</ref>

After the [[2014 Russian annexation of Crimea]] the government of Russia decided to build a bridge across the Kerch Strait. The 19-kilometre [[Crimean Bridge]] opened to road traffic in 2018 and the rail section opened in 2019<!-- there is indeed delay for freight trains, but it is related not to bridge (which is deemed completed), but to adjacent railroads -->.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/74/17|title=United Nations General Assembly Resolution 74/17 "Problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov"|date=13 December 2019|website=United Nations Documents}}</ref>

Russian state-backed media claims that construction of the bridge caused increases in nutrients and planktons in the waters, attracting large numbers of fish and more than 1,000 endangered Black Sea [[bottlenose dolphin]]s.<ref>Goldman E.. 2017. [http://rbth.com/politics_and_society/2017/02/28/crimean-bridge-construction-boosts-dolphin-population-in-kerch-strait_711003 Crimean bridge construction boosts dolphin population in Kerch Strait]. The [[Russia Beyond the Headlines]]. Retrieved on 10 March 2017</ref> However, Ukraine claims that the acoustic noise and pollution from both the bridge construction and military exercises may actually be killing Black Sea dolphins.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.uawire.org/news/ukrainian-scientist-dolphins-in-the-crimea-are-dying-because-of-the-construction-of-the-kerch-strait-bridge-and-military-exercises |title=Ukrainian scientist: Dolphins in the Black Sea are dying because of the construction of the Kerch Strait bridge and military exercises |website=www.uawire.org |access-date=26 November 2018}}</ref>

====Kerch Strait incident (2018)====
{{main|Kerch Strait incident}}
When two Ukrainian navy vessels tried to pass under the bridge to reach Mariupol in November 2018, Russian forces responded by blocking the straits with a large container ship. Upon turning back, the Ukrainian ships and crews were fired upon and seized by the Russian coast guard.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/12/01/explaining-the-naval-clash-between-russia-and-ukraine|title=Explaining the naval clash between Russia and Ukraine|newspaper=[[The Economist]]|date=1 December 2018|access-date=19 January 2019}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-46352367|title=Ukraine–Russia clash: MPs back martial law|date=27 November 2018|access-date=27 November 2018|publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{citation|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-firing-on-its-ships-near-crimea-1.3709977 |title=Ukraine accuses Russia of firing on its ships near Crimea |date=25 November 2018 |newspaper=The Irish Times |access-date=6 October 2019}}</ref>

====2019 gas tanker disaster====
{{main|2019 Kerch Strait liquified gas tanker fire}}
Two gas carriers collided and exploded in 2019, killing 14 people.

====2021 closure by Russia====
On 15 April 2021 Russia decided to close the area of Kerch Strait to "warships and other state vessels" from 24 April to 31 October. The stated rationale for the closure are [[military exercises]].<ref name="ukrinform">{{cite web | url =https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/3228580-ukraine-protests-against-russias-restrictions-on-freedom-of-navigation-in-black-sea.html |title=Ukraine protests against Russia's restrictions on freedom of navigation in Black Sea|publisher=[[Ukrinform]]| date=15 April 2021| access-date =15 April 2021}}</ref> The closure partially cut off the Ukrainian ports of [[Berdyansk]] and [[Mariupol]] from the Black Sea.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/konflikt-ukraina-rosja-moskwa-dokreca-srube-a-swiat-sie-przyglada/px863vd,79cfc278 |title=Rosjanie dokręcają śrubę, a świat się przygląda [ANALIZA] |trans-title=The Russians tighten the screw and the world is watching [ANALYSIS] |publisher=[[Onet]]|language=Polish| date=18 April 2021| access-date=18 April 2021}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ukraine)|Ukrainian Foreign Ministry]] protested against the decision, stating that "such actions by the Russian Federation are another attempt to violate the norms and principles of international law to usurp the sovereign rights of Ukraine as a coastal state, as Ukraine has the right to regulate navigation in these areas of the Black Sea".<ref name="ukrinform"/> According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, the decision is a violation of the [[freedom of navigation]] under the [[UN Convention on the Law of the Sea]].<ref name="ukrinform"/>

The decision to close the strait was preceded by Russia's warning the United States after the [[Biden administration]]'s plan to send two [[destroyer]]s ([[USS Roosevelt (DDG-80)|USS ''Roosevelt'']] and [[USS Donald Cook|USS ''Donald Cook'']]<ref name="nypost">{{cite web | url =https://nypost.com/2021/04/15/putin-closes-off-access-to-black-sea-after-biden-blinks/|title=Putin closes off access to Black Sea after Biden's about-face on Ukraine |work=[[New York Post]]| date=15 April 2021| access-date =15 April 2021}}</ref>) to the Black Sea amid Russia's increasing military presence near Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/royal-navy-reports-russia-closing-5304504 |title=Royal Navy: Reports Russia is closing Kerch Strait in Black Sea as Ukraine tensions escalate|work=[[Plymouth Herald]]| date=15 April 2021| access-date =15 April 2021}}</ref> The Biden administration withheld the destroyers after fighting intensified between Ukrainian and Russian-backed separatist forces in an effort to alleviate the tension.<ref name="nypost"/> Putin had threatened the safety of the US Navy ships, saying that they should stay away from the area “for their own good”. After the destroyers were withheld, Russia took advantage of the opening to close the Kerch Strait.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://nypost.com/2021/04/15/putin-closes-off-access-to-black-sea-after-biden-blinks/|title = Putin closes off access to Black Sea after Biden's about-face on Ukraine |website=nypost.com |access-date=15 December 2024 |date = 15 April 2021}}</ref>

====2021 ''Donbas'' incident====
On 9 December 2021 {{ship|Ukrainian command ship|Donbas}} left [[Mariupol]] and approached Kerch Strait. It did not give a notice in advance to pass the strait, and was warned by Russian coastguard such a notice should be given for the safety of maritime traffic. At the moment about 80 civilian ships were waiting to pass the strait.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ria.ru/20211209/korabl-1763035516.html |title = Корабль ВМС Украины движется в сторону Керченского пролива, сообщили в ФСБ |trans-title=The ship of the Ukrainian Navy is moving towards the Kerch Strait, the FSB reported |website=ria.ru |access-date=15 December 2024 |date = 9 December 2021 |lang=ru}}</ref>

====Crimean Bridge explosions====
{{main|2022 Crimean Bridge explosion|2023 Crimean Bridge explosion}}
In the morning of 8 October 2022 at 06:07 (Moscow time), an explosion occurred on the road portion of the Crimean Bridge, causing major damage. Seven fuel cars of a passing railway train also ignited, causing an extensive fire on the parallel rail bridge, and two half-sections of the road bridge collapsed.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63183404 |title = Crimean bridge fire: Blaze erupts on only bridge linking peninsula to Russia |website=www.bbc.com |access-date=15 December 2024 |date = 8 October 2022|lang=en}}</ref> On 17 July 2023, two [[unmanned surface vehicle|suicide sea drones]] exploded underneath and damaged a span of the road bridge.

====Crimean tunnel====
In late 2023 ''[[The Washington Post]]'' reported that Russia, with the help of Chinese companies, was contemplating building a Crimean tunnel.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Greg |last2=Ilyushina |first2=Mary |date=2023-11-25 |title=Russian and Chinese executives discuss Russia-Crimea tunnel project |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/11/24/russia-crimea-tunnel-china/ |access-date=2023-11-25 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

====2024 oil spill====
{{Main article|2024 Kerch Strait oil spill}}
On 15 December 2024, the Russian oil tankers {{MV|Volgoneft-212||2}} and {{MV|Volgoneft-239||2}} were damaged in a storm in the Kerch Strait, resulting in an [[2024 Kerch Strait oil spill|oil spill]]. ''Volgoneft-212'', which was carrying about 4,900 tonnes of oil, split in two, and the bow section sank. One crew member died of hypothermia, and the remaining 12 crew members were taken to hospital. ''Volgoneft-239'', which was carrying about 4,300 tonnes of oil, became uncontrollable; drifted; and ran aground near the [[Port of Taman]], [[Krasnodar Krai]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=16 December 2024 |title=Russian tankers damaged in Kerch Strait were carrying 62,000 barrels of oil products, TASS says |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/russian-tankers-damaged-in-kerch-strait-were-carrying-62-000-barrels-of-oil-products-tass-says/7902605.html |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Voice of America |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{Cite web |date=16 December 2024 |title=Preparations underway to address oil spill in Kerch Strait |url=https://tass.com/emergencies/1887755 |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=TASS}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite news |date=16 December 2024 |title=Sailors Rescued From Second Russian Oil Tanker Damaged in Storm |url= https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/16/sailors-rescued-from-second-russian-oil-tanker-damaged-in-storm-a87341 |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}}</ref>

Efforts to rescue the crew of ''Volgoneft-239'' were suspended overnight due to bad weather, but all crew members were rescued the next day.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 December 2024 |title=Oil spill near Black Sea after two Russian tankers seriously damaged in storm |url= https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20241215-oil-spill-near-black-sea-after-two-russian-tankers-seriously-damaged-in-storm |access-date=15 December 2024 |website=France 24 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":9">{{Cite web |date=16 December 2024 |title=All 14 crew members of second stricken Russian oil tanker rescued in Kerch Strait |url=https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/12/16/all-14-crew-members-of-second-stricken-russian-oil-tanker-rescued-in-kerch-strait-en-news |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Novaya Gazeta Europe}}</ref> It was also found that day that ''Volgoneft-239'' had begun leaking oil after she ran aground,<ref name=":93">{{Cite news |date=16 December 2024 |title=All 14 crew members of second stricken Russian oil tanker rescued in Kerch Strait |url= https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/12/16/all-14-crew-members-of-second-stricken-russian-oil-tanker-rescued-in-kerch-strait-en-news |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Novaya Gazeta Europe}}</ref><ref name=":102">{{Cite news |date=16 December 2024 |title=Preparations underway to address oil spill in Kerch Strait |url= https://tass.com/emergencies/1887755 |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=TASS}}</ref> but both leaks stopped that day.<ref name=":94">{{Cite web |date=16 December 2024 |title=All 14 crew members of second stricken Russian oil tanker rescued in Kerch Strait |url= https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/12/16/all-14-crew-members-of-second-stricken-russian-oil-tanker-rescued-in-kerch-strait-en-news |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Novaya Gazeta Europe}}</ref> Oil spills from both ships began drifting towards the coast northwest of the port of Taman between the [[Tuzla Spit]] and Cape Panagiya.<ref name=":95">{{Cite news |date=16 December 2024 |title=All 14 crew members of second stricken Russian oil tanker rescued in Kerch Strait |url= https://novayagazeta.eu/articles/2024/12/16/all-14-crew-members-of-second-stricken-russian-oil-tanker-rescued-in-kerch-strait-en-news |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=Novaya Gazeta Europe}}</ref><ref name=":103">{{Cite news |date=16 December 2024 |title=Preparations underway to address oil spill in Kerch Strait |url= https://tass.com/emergencies/1887755 |access-date=16 December 2024 |website=TASS}}</ref>

==Kerch–Yenikale Canal==
[[File:Kerch aivazovsky.jpg|thumb|View across the strait in 1839, by [[Ivan Aivazovsky]]]]
{{main|Kerch–Yenikale Canal}}
In order to improve navigational capabilities of the Strait of Kerch, which is quite shallow in its narrowest point, the [[Kerch–Yenikale Canal]] was dredged through the strait. The main channel can accommodate vessels up to 215 meters long with a [[Draft (hull)|draft]] of up to 8 meters with a compulsory [[Maritime pilot|pilot]] assistance. The canal is not straight, and its geometry further complicates safe navigation. The narrowness, limited depth, and turns of the main channel together with the often unpredictable effects of wind and visibility (fog) mean that there are strict procedures regulating strait transit. Transit of large vessels occurs on a one-way (alternating) group convoy basis. Transit procedures have remained unchanged, whether under Soviet, Ukrainian, or Russian jurisdiction. The Vessel Traffic Control Post in Kerch controls and oversees all traffic.

==Fishing==
Several fish-processing plants are located on the Crimean coast of the strait. The fishing season begins in late autumn and lasts for 2 to 3 months, when many [[seiner]]s put out into the strait to fish. The [[Taman Bay]] is a major fishing ground, with many fishing villages scattered along the coast.

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{commons category inline|Strait of Kerch}}

{{Kerch Strait}}
{{Crimea topics}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Kerch Strait| ]]
[[Category:Straits of Crimea]]
[[Category:Bodies of water of the Black Sea]]
[[Category:Straits of Russia]]
[[Category:International straits]]
[[Category:Russia–Ukraine border]]
[[Category:Geography of Krasnodar Krai]]
[[Category:Kerch Peninsula|Strait]]
[[Category:Kerch|Strait]]