Moscow, Russia (TEH) – Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has recently escalated its control of ships traversing the Crimean bridge, a key passage under the Kerch Strait that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. This heightened scrutiny came following the discovery of traces of explosives aboard a dry cargo ship en route to Rostov-on-Don from Turkey, which had previously docked in Ukraine.
On July 22, the FSB reported finding traces of dinitrotoluene and tetrile explosives stowed in the hold of the cargo ship. The vessel was on its way to the port of Rostov-on-Don to load grain crops. According to the special service agency, there were also “signs of third-party interference in the structural parts of the bulk carrier.”
The FSB is conducting a series of control and verification measures for ships moving through the Kerch Strait in an effort to prevent acts of terrorism and sabotage, and to ensure navigational safety.
“Enhanced maritime security is now an absolute necessity in the region,” stated the FSB.
Intriguingly, in May, the same ship was seen docked in the Ukrainian port of Kiliya. It then had its name changed in July, following a complete crew changeover consisting of 12 Ukrainian citizens in Tuzla port, Turkey. The FSB pointed out that these circumstances may indicate a possible utilization of a foreign civilian ship for transporting explosives into Ukraine’s territory.
The dry cargo ship from Turkey was subsequently denied passage under the navigable arch of the bridge through the Kerch Strait.
This incident comes in the aftermath of a July 17 attack on the Crimean bridge, which resulted in two fatalities. One opening in the highway was completely destroyed by the explosion, while another was damaged. Russia’s Investigation Committee has opened a criminal case, attributing the attack to an act of terrorism. Russian officials have accused Ukraine of orchestrating the attack, although Kiev has not directly claimed responsibility for the explosion.
