President Vladimir Putin met with government members to discuss ongoing events, starting with an update on the Crimean Bridge approach. Reported by TASS, the president opened the session by proposing that the meeting address urgent operational topics first.
In a briefing, the Transport Minister of Crimea, Vitaly Saveliev, was cited as saying that the head of state asked for a clear picture of the situation at the entrance to the Crimean Bridge. The request underscored the need for real-time information from the transport department as decisions were shaped at the highest level.
Early on July 4, Crimea’s Transport Minister Nikolai Lukashenko stated that by 07:00 local time there was a queue of vehicles at the entrance to the bridge from the Krasnodar region, with the line reportedly shrinking to about four kilometers. He noted that the delay in traffic could extend to roughly two hours, reflecting peak conditions and the flow of travelers through the corridor.
The congestion began on the evening of Saturday, July 1. By the end of that night, the tailback stretched from Kuban to nine kilometers. To relieve the backlog, authorities intensified the work of security forces and inspection lanes. The Transport Ministry explained that the surge in traffic was linked to a larger number of vehicles and baggage undergoing inspection, rather than a sudden drop in road capacity.
In the broader regional context, authorities emphasized ongoing measures to ensure safety and maintain steady transportation across the critical link, with constant monitoring and coordination among security and transport agencies to manage the flow and minimize disruption for travelers.