THE KERCH STRAIT (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin, driving a truck, unveiled the auto section of a new road-and-rail bridge linking Russia to the annexed Crimean peninsula on Tuesday, defying Ukraine which said the move showed cynical disregard for international law.

Putin, at the wheel of an orange heavy KAMAZ dump-truck, drove 19 km (12 miles) across the bridge from the Kerch Strait. Some Russians are calling it “Putin’s bridge”, designed to link Crimea into Russia’s transport network.

At a ceremony broadcast live on state TV, Putin, dressed in blue jeans, was met by cheering workers on the Crimean side after driving the truck in a convoy of vehicles.

“At last, thanks to your talent, this project, this miracle, has happened,” Putin told the workers.

In Kiev, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said: “The illegal construction of the Kerch bridge is the latest evidence of the Kremlin’s disregard for international law.

“It is particularly cynical that its opening is happening on the eve of the latest anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean-Tatar people by the Stalin regime.”

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, drawing sanctions and prompting a deterioration in ties with the West. Many in Russia saw the move as restoring Moscow’s rule over a historically Russian region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin closes the door of a Kamaz truck during a ceremony opening a bridge, which was constructed to connect the Russian mainland with the Crimean Peninsula, near the Taman Peninsula in Krasnodar Region, Russia May 15, 2018. Sputnik/Alexei Druzhinin/Kremlin via REUTERS

Built at a cost of 223 billion roubles ($3.60 billion), the bridge will be the longest dual-purpose span in Europe. The Kremlin said it would be opened to cars on Wednesday and the rail section was due to be completed at the end of 2019.

“Putin initiated this project himself. Many didn’t believe these plans were possible,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday ahead of the ceremony.

“This is an extremely important day from this point of view and in a practical sense and in symbolic terms.”

The road stretch of the bridge was due to be completed by the end of 2018, but the opening was brought forward at Putin’s request.

Putin inspected the bridge in March ahead of the presidential election he won by a landslide, saying it was important to have the link to the Black Sea peninsula open for the summer tourist season.

The opening ceremony drew criticism from the West.

“France condemns the construction by Russia of the Kerch Bridge, which deprives Ukraine of full access and the use of its internationally recognized territorial waters,” a French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

Slideshow (10 Images)

U.S. State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert in a statement on Tuesday said the “bridge serves as a reminder of Russia’s ongoing willingness to flout international law” and said it was an attempt by Russia “to solidify its unlawful seizure and its occupation of Crimea” and impede navigation of the Kerch Strait.

The spokesperson of the European External Action Service said in a statement on Tuesday the bridge was “another violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

“The European Union continues to condemn the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia and will not recognize this violation of international law,” the spokesperson said.</s>The Russian president on Tuesday inaugurated a 19-kilometer-long (12-mile) bridge linking the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia four years ago, to mainland Russia over the Kerch Strait.

As part of the bridge's opening, Vladimir Putin got behind the wheel of a truck and drove it in the direction of Crimea, leading a long convoy of orange vehicles.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin inaugurated a bridge that connects Crimea to Russia, saying, "A miracle has come true," on Tuesday.

The 12-mile bridge embodies Putin's achievement of "reunification," whereby Russia, flexing its military might, annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. It's widely seen as another step in cementing Russia's control over the Black Sea peninsula.

For the event, Putin got behind the wheel of a bright orange Kamaz truck to lead a convoy of dump trucks, cranes and other equipment toward the Crimean city of Kerch, according to TASS. Cameras mounted inside the truck followed his route and broadcast live on state television, The Washington Post reported.

The automobile section of the Kerch Strait Bridge, said to be the longest bridge in Europe, was completed six months ahead of schedule. Putin touted it as an historic achievement and a dream that eluded Russian czars and leaders throughout the 2oth century.

Meanwhile, Ukranian President Petro Poroshenko decried the modern marvel built without his government's permission.

"I am confident that the aggressor will not succeed and will bear responsibility in full," Poroshenko said on Facebook, as translated by The Washington Post. "The invaders will need the bridge when they have to urgently leave our Crimea."

The State Department issued a statement condemning the construction as an illegal occupation of Crimea which "belongs to Ukraine."

"The bridge represents not only an attempt by Russia to solidify its unlawful seizure and its occupation of Crimea, but also impedes navigation by limiting the size of ships that can transit the Kerch Strait, the only path to reach Ukraine's territorial waters in the Sea of Azov," the statement said.

State Department officials also noted the U.S. "has sanctioned numerous individuals and entities involved in this project," including billionaire Arkady Rotenberg, the developer behind the bridge and Putin's close friend and judo partner.

"These and our other Crimea-related sanctions will remain in place until Russia returns control of the peninsula to Ukraine," the statement said.

Until now, Crimea's 2.3 million citizens have been largely cut off from the rest of the world. The territory has only been accessible by plane or ferry from Russia, and the Ukrainian government has blocked most road and rail traffic to the occupied region over the last four years.

Once the bridge is fully operational it is expected to allow up to 40,000 passenger cars to cross each day, and to eventually reduce the cost of goods in Crimea, which doubled after being incorporated into Russia. By opening the bridge ahead of summer — and drastically reducing the time it will take Russians to reach Crimea — Putin said he hopes to help spur tourism in the struggling region.

But despite the fanfare Tuesday, the four-lane bridge is not entirely accessible by drivers on both sides. Many of the highways feeding into the bridge are still under construction, according to the New York Times.

As NPR reported, the $7.5 billion dollar project was plagued by problems:

The bridge will open to heavy truck traffic in the fall, and a railroad component is scheduled to open in 2019.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a 12-mile bridge connecting southern Russia to the Crimean peninsula on Tuesday.

The controversial Crimean Bridge links the southern Krasnodar region with the Crimean city of Kerch and spans across a stretch of water between the Black Sea and the Azov Sea.

The project cost 228 billion rubles ($3.69 billion) and will become the longest bridge in Europe, taking over the Vasco da Gama Bridge in Lisbon, Portugal.

It had been expected to be fully constructed by the end of 2018 but has been completed six months ahead of schedule and will be open to traffic on May 16, according to a Kremlin statement.

Ukraine has criticized the project, saying construction has damaged the environment and that larger ships will be unable to get through to its ports on the Azov Sea.

Crimea was annexed from Ukraine following the 2014 Ukrainian revolution and takeover of the area by pro-Russian separatists and armed forces.

The results of a referendum deemed unconstitutional by the Ukrainian Constitutional Court on reunification with Russia found most people were in favor of joining Russia.

The annexation of the peninsula in 2014 was condemned by Kiev and the West as an illegal land grab.

European Union and U.S. sanctions have targeted those involved in the realization of the bridge, particularly businessman Arkady Rotenberg, a close ally of Putin whose company Stroygazmontazh won the construction contract.

The peninsula has until now been difficult to access from southern Russia with long queues of vehicles often trying to board ferries, which are not always able to run during winter storms. The easiest mode of transportation is flying.

The blocks imposed by Kiev and Western sanctions have meant a large amount of food is transported from Russia to Crimea by ship, meaning the bridge will play an important role in reducing the region's reliance on sea transport.

This article originally appeared on DW.com. Its content was created separately to USA TODAY.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin has inaugurated a highly-controversial bridge linking the Russian mainland to Crimea, tightening Russias hold over the contested peninsula which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The 19-km, $3.7 billion bridge is Moscow's only direct road link to Crimea. Russia expects it will carry millions of cars and rail travelers and millions of tonnes of cargo each year. Previously, all car traffic passed over the Kerch strait by ferry or by passing through Ukraine, the Guardian reported.

On Tuesday, Putin drove an orange Kamaz truck across the bridge as he opened the road to car traffic. "In different historical epochs, even under the tsar priests, people dreamed of building this bridge," Putin told workers at the ceremony.

"Then they returned to this (idea) in the 1930s, the 40s, the 50s. And finally, thanks to your work and your talent, the miracle has happened."

The Russian state media touted the bridge as the "construction of the century". The Soviet Union and Nazi Germany had considered and then scrapped plans to build a bridge over the Kerch Strait.

Relations between Russia and Ukraine remain extremely fraught as a simmering conflict continues between Kiev and Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine's southeast.

In 2016, the US imposed sanctions on Russian companies that were helping to build the bridge across the Kerch Strait. Ukraine said the construction of the bridge showed "blatant disregard for international law".

The US State Department said that "the bridge impeded ship navigation and goods delivery in the area and therefore it was watching the situation closely".

The Russian embassy, however, said that "the US remarks were predictable and Moscow was not asking anyone's authorization for building infrastructure projects on its territory.

"As one could predict, Washington is not happy with that. But Crimea is Russia," the Russian embassy said in a statement.

"We shall not ask for anybody's permission to build transport infrastructure for the sake of the population of Russian regions."

The bridge's construction was led by Stroygazmontazh, whose owner, Arkady Rotenberg, has close connections to the Kremlin. Rotenberg was Putin's judo sparring partner.

He was hit with sanctions by the US for his proximity to Putin and by the EU for being among those accused of undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity.

The bridge was completed six months ahead of schedule, according to Russian state news agencies. It can reportedly carry up to 40,000 cars per day, its span is greater than that of the Vasco da Gama bridge in Portugal, previously the longest in Europe.</s>Vladimir Putin has opened a bridge between the Russian mainland and Crimea, tightening Russia’s hold over the contested peninsula, which Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The 12-mile (19km), $3.7bn (£2.7bn) bridge is Moscow’s only direct road link to Crimea. Russia expects it will carry millions of cars and rail travellers and millions of tons of cargo each year. Previously, all car traffic passed over the Kerch strait by ferry or by passing through Ukraine.

Relations between Russia and Ukraine remain extremely fraught as a simmering conflict continues between Kiev and Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine’s south-east. In 2016 the US imposed sanctions on Russian companies that were helping to build the bridge across the Kerch strait. Ukraine has said the construction of the bridge shows blatant disregard for international law.

On Tuesday Putin drove an orange Kamaz truck across the bridge as he opened the road to car traffic. “In different historical epochs, even under the tsar priests, people dreamed of building this bridge,” Putin told workers at the ceremony. “Then they returned to this [idea] in the 1930s, the 40s, the 50s. And finally, thanks to your work and your talent, the miracle has happened.”

Russian state media touted the bridge as the “construction of the century”. Both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany had considered and then scrapped plans to build a bridge over the Kerch strait. Ferry traffic is often halted because of bad weather.

Construction was led by Stroygazmontazh, whose owner, Arkady Rotenberg, has close connections to the Kremlin. Rotenberg was Putin’s judo sparring partner. He was hit with sanctions by the US for his proximity to Putin and by the EU for being among those accused of undermining Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

The bridge was completed six months ahead of schedule, according to Russian state news agencies. “I’ve got goosebumps,” Rotenberg told the Russia-24 channel during a live, nationwide broadcast from the bridge.

The bridge can reportedly carry up to 40,000 cars per day, its span is greater than that of the Vasco da Gama bridge in Portugal, previously the longest in Europe.</s>MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday he was confident people would love the bridge to the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Moscow from Ukraine in 2014, after driving over it in a truck.

The 19-km (12-mile) bridge across the Kerch Strait, which some Russians have dubbed “Putin’s bridge”, is designed to integrate Crimea with Russia’s transport network.

The road part of the bridge will be opened to the public on Wednesday, while the rail part is yet to be finished.</s>Russian President Vladimir Putin drove a large construction truck Tuesday to road test the much-anticipated bridge linking southern Russia and the Crimean peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The 19-kilometre (11.8-mile) bridge, which took two years to build and cost $3.6 billion is Putin’s project to show that Crimea has joined Russia for good. Transportation links to Crimea deteriorated after both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries set up checkpoints into the peninsula and trains crossing the Ukrainian mainland were cancelled.

Putin travelled to southern Russia to inspect the construction site and to lead the opening ceremony for the bridge. After receiving a briefing from the construction firm, owned by his childhood friend Arkady Rotenberg, Putin jumped into an orange Kamaz truck with two engineers to lead several dozen trucks across the span.

“Let’s hit the road!” he said in the cabin before driving off.

Putin annexed Crimea in March 2014 following a hastily called local vote. The European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Russia for the move. Only a handful of Russia’s staunchest allies like Venezuela and Syria have recognized Crimea as part of Russia.

TV host Andrei Kondrashov, who was chairman of Putin’s victorious re-election campaign, this year described the bridge as “one more reason for Russians to be proud.”

Tuesday’s test drive took a little under 20 minutes and was covered live by Russian state television. Reporters and cameras were stationed at several spots along the route. One reporter hailed the bridge as an example of “heroism of the workers.”

The Ukrainian government reacted to the opening with anger. President Petro Poroshenko lambasted the bridge as “yet another piece of evidence of the Kremlin ignoring international law” and “an attempt to legitimize the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula.”</s>(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre right, drives a truck to officially open the much-anticipated bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula, during the opening ceremony near in Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, M...

(Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, Acting Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov, second left, and Stroygazmontazh chairman of the board Arkady Rotenberg visit the Integrated Center for Cri...

(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). A journalist takes a photograph of the new bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula prior to the opening ceremony near Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the ...

(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). A view of the new bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula prior to its opening ceremony near Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the b...

(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin drives a truck to officially open the much-anticipated bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula, during the opening ceremony near in Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. P...

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin drove a large construction truck Tuesday to road test the much-anticipated bridge linking southern Russia and the Crimean peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) bridge, which took two years to build and cost $3.6 billion is Putin's project to show that Crimea has joined Russia for good. Transportation links to Crimea deteriorated after both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries set up checkpoints into the peninsula and trains crossing the Ukrainian mainland were canceled.

Putin traveled to southern Russia to inspect the construction site and to lead the opening ceremony for the bridge. After receiving a briefing from the construction firm, owned by his childhood friend Arkady Rotenberg, Putin jumped into an orange Kamaz truck with two engineers to lead several dozen trucks across the span.

"Let's hit the road!" he said in the cabin before driving off.

Putin annexed Crimea in March 2014 following a hastily called local vote. The European Union and the United States imposed sanctions on Russia for the move. Only a handful of Russia's staunchest allies like Venezuela and Syria have recognized Crimea as part of Russia.

TV host Andrei Kondrashov, who was chairman of Putin's victorious re-election campaign, this year described the bridge as "one more reason for Russians to be proud."

Tuesday's test drive took a little under 20 minutes and was covered live by Russian state television. Reporters and cameras were stationed at several spots along the route. One reporter hailed the bridge as an example of "heroism of the workers."

The Ukrainian government reacted to the opening with anger. President Petro Poroshenko lambasted the bridge as "yet another piece of evidence of the Kremlin ignoring international law" and "an attempt to legitimize the temporary occupation of the Crimean peninsula."

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin, centre right, drives a truck to officially open the much-anticipated bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula, during the opening ceremony near in Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, M...

(Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin, second right, Acting Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov, second left, and Stroygazmontazh chairman of the board Arkady Rotenberg visit the Integrated Center for Cri...

(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). A journalist takes a photograph of the new bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula prior to the opening ceremony near Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the ...

(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). A view of the new bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula prior to its opening ceremony near Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin will attend the opening ceremony of the b...

(Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP). Russian President Vladimir Putin drives a truck to officially open the much-anticipated bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula, during the opening ceremony near in Kerch, Crimea, Tuesday, May 15, 2018. P...

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has driven a large construction truck to open the much-anticipated bridge linking southern Russia and the Crimean peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

The 19-kilometer (11.8-mile) bridge that cost $3.6 billion is Putin's project to show that Crimea has joined Russia for good. Transport links to Crimea deteriorated after trains crossing the Ukrainian mainland were cancelled and both the Ukrainian and Russian militaries set up checkpoints crossing into Crimea.

Putin traveled Tuesday to southern Russia to inspect the construction site and jumped into an orange Kamaz truck along with two engineers to drive over the bridge, leading several dozen trucks.

Putin annexed Crimea in March 2014 following a hastily called local vote. The European Union and the U.S. hit Russia with sanctions for the move.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin opens the auto part of the 19-kilometre (12 mi)-long road-and-rail Kerch Strait Bridge connecting Crimea with Russia.