Crimea bridge closed following 'emergency'

People successful Crimea person been told to debar utilizing the span connecting the occupied peninsula with Russia, aft what officials called an "emergency".

They did not telephone it an attack, but unconfirmed reports said that locals heard explosions aboriginal connected Monday.

The Kerch span was opened successful 2018 and enables question betwixt Russia and Crimea - Ukrainian territory held by Moscow's forces since 2014.

In October past year, it was partially closed pursuing a major explosion.

The span - which is an important proviso way - afloat reopened successful February.

Writing connected Telegram, Sergey Aksyonov, the caput of the Russian medication successful Crimea, said: "Traffic was stopped connected the Crimean bridge. An exigency occurred successful the country of ​​​​the 145th enactment from the [Russia broadside of the bridge].

"Law enforcement agencies and each liable services are working. Measures are being taken to reconstruct the situation.

"Given the existent situation, I inquire residents and guests of the peninsula to refrain from traveling done the Crimean span and, for information reasons, take an alternate onshore way done caller regions."

This is however Russia refers to the Ukrainian territories it occupied past twelvemonth and claims to person annexed.