Despite him war with Ukraine and the tense security situation, many Russians still choose for their destination holidays their peninsula Crimea in the Black Sea, which was illegally annexed by the Russian Federation in 2014.

A traffic jam about 13 kilometers long had formed today on the Russian side of the Kerch bridge, which connects Crimea with the Russian mainland, the Interfax news agency reported. Traffic had started picking up since Saturday.

Emergency services, volunteers and administrative staff distributed water to vehicle occupants who waited in line for hours.

The peninsula is accessible to tourists only by train or car, as air traffic has been suspended due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Crimea was a popular holiday resort during the Soviet Union. It has attracted renewed interest as Russian citizens are barred from holidaying in many Western countries following sanctions imposed on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

The Kerch bridge to Crimea, which is about 19 kilometers long, was severely damaged in an explosion in October 2022, but has since been repaired. The Ukrainian secret service hinted in May that it was involved in the blast.

The bridge is also considered an important supply route for Russian troops.

Ukraine repeatedly attacks Crimea with drones. Kiev has vowed to retake Crimea, along with all other territories Russia has seized.

Meanwhile, another bridge to Crimea near Tsonhar, which was damaged by a Ukrainian missile attack, was repaired by Russian occupation forces after only a week and a half, according to Moscow.