On the 23 February, pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. On the 27 February, masked troops without insignia took over the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea, and captured strategic sites across the peninsula. The pro-Russian Aksyonov government took control, conducted the Crimean status referendum and declared Crimea's independence on 16 March 2014. On the 18 March 2014, Russia claimed Crimea and began full scale occupation, including forcible takeover of many businesses. Strategically, Russia needed Crimea to maintain a fleet in the Black Sea. But as Crimea is not connected to Russia by land, delivering goods and services was hugely problematic logistically.
The Russians have since begun building a bridge from the easternmost point of Crimea across the Kerch Strait to connect Crimea with Russia. The Crimea Bridge is actually a pair of parallel bridges -- one for vehicular traffic, one for rail. In January 2015, the multibillion-dollar contract for the construction of the bridge was awarded to Arkady Rotenberg's SGM Groupunder by the Russian Federation. It will span the Strait of Kerch between the Kerch Peninsula of Crimea and the Taman Peninsula of Krasnodar Krai in Russia. The current connection is by the Kerch Strait ferry between Port Kavkaz on the Chushka Spit and Port Krym.
Construction of the enormous span commenced May 2015. The vehicular bridge is projected to be completed December 18, 2018. The rail link will follow at the end of 2019.
From @Crimea on Twitter:
"Today, February 26, the fourth anniversary of the occupation of Crimea by Russia.The result - 430 cases of human rights violations, 64 political prisoners, 16 abductions and 15 deaths. In addition, total destruction of Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian identity. But Crimea will be free!"Read more here (in Ukrainian).
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