Over 1,300 vehicles found themselves trapped on the approaches to the Crimean bridge. They are trying to panic leave the peninsula occupied by Russia. The column of cars moving towards Kerch and the Krasnodar Territory stretched for nearly 15 kilometers. The independent Russian ASTRA project raised the alarm in its journalistic investigation.
The situation escalated after a series of air alerts, which forced local authorities to temporarily block traffic at the facility several times a day. According to eyewitnesses quoted by the media, drivers are forced to wait for hours at checkpoints.
Draconian checks and fear of sabotage
The main delay comes from the extraordinary security measures introduced by the Russian services. Each car undergoes a detailed physical inspection or scanner due to fears of new Ukrainian attacks with explosives. According to the Ukrainian project "Schemes" (Radio Liberty), which captured the scale of the traffic jam using satellite images, the blockade is seriously affecting both civilian traffic and Moscow's vital military logistics.
Additional chaos is brought by specific restrictions. Trucks weighing more than 1.5 tons are prohibited from passing, as are hybrid and electric cars. The services fear that explosive devices may be hidden in their batteries.
Fuel and household collapse on the peninsula
The flight of civilians is also being intensified by the dire humanitarian situation in Crimea. After the Ukrainian army cut off alternative land supply corridors through Chongar and Genichesk, the peninsula fell into isolation.
A complete ban on the free sale of gasoline is in effect in the region, with cars only allowed to enter gas stations with coupons and a limit of 20 liters per person. Departing citizens are allowed to take out a maximum of 200 liters of fuel in cans. The crisis is also being exacerbated by massive power outages, water supply, and mobile communications in large settlements.
Analysis of the fuel crisis and the isolation of Crimea
In the second half of June 2026, the situation on the Russian-occupied peninsula escalated dramatically. The massive campaign of Ukrainian medium-range drone strikes (hitting targets up to 200 km behind the front line) managed to completely cut off the supply routes on the peninsula. After the deactivation of key railway bridges and land corridors through Chongar and Genichesk, Russian logistics in Crimea fell into a state of complete paralysis. [1, 2, 3]
According to reports by the international media outlet BBC, a complete ban on the free sale of gasoline to civilians and private companies is in force in large cities such as Sevastopol and Simferopol. All available fuel has been requisitioned and placed in reserve for the needs of the Russian army and emergency services. In the few places where gasoline was sold at all before the total blockade, prices have jumped by more than 50% compared to the average for the Russian Federation. The situation forced the occupation authorities to officially declare an economic emergency on the peninsula. As a direct result of the deficit, the occupation governor, Sergei Aksyonov, suspended all children's summer camps and tourist activities in Crimea until September. [1, 2]
Satellite analysis and infrastructure status
Satellite analysis by the investigative project “Schemes“ (Radio Liberty) and independent satellite data from Planet Labs confirm the scale of the logistical collapse around the Kerch Strait. The images show continuous columns stretching from the checkpoints in front of the Crimean Bridge all the way to the outskirts of the village of Ivanovka in the Kerch region. [1, 2]
Traffic on the bridge is regularly halted several times a day, with the facility periodically closing completely for more than 6 hours due to massive air and sea drone attacks. In an attempt to contain the panic and allow departing citizens to evacuate in their personal cars, the occupation administration increased the permitted limit for transporting fuel in canisters from 100 to 200 liters. However, according to data from the the business newspaper „Vedomosti“, the waiting time for manual inspection exceeds 5 hours, and the columns regularly escalate to a total of 2,800 vehicles on both sides of the facility. [1, 2, 3]
In parallel, satellite images captured serious damage and thick smoke over the Kerch oil depots and the main substation of the Sevastopol thermal power plant. According to reports by German media outlet Deutsche Welle reported that this has led to massive power outages across the peninsula, leaving entire neighborhoods without electricity, water and pumping stations in the summer heat. [1, 2, 3]