Kerch strait

Why in news?

• Recently, the Kerch Bridge which connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean peninsula, caught fire due to an explosion sparked by a truck bomb.

About Kerch strait:

• The Kerch Strait 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 most important harbor, the Crimean city of Kerch, gives its name to the strait, formerly known as the Cimmerian Bosporus.

Significance for Russia:

• Since it is the only direct link between Russia and Crimea, it plays a major role in supplying fuel, food and other key goods to Crimea, which hosts the port of Sevastopol – the historic home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
• It became a major supply route for Russian Forces after the military campaign against Ukraine was launched on February 24, 2022.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Kerch strait, recently in news, connects which of the following water bodies?

(a) Aegean Sea and Black Sea

(b) Black Sea and Sea of Azov

(c) Baltic Sea and North Sea

(d) Sea of Marmara and Aegean Sea

Answer