Queues of cars formed in front of the Crimean Bridge.

Almost a thousand vehicles are awaiting inspection on the Taman side, and more than 600 vehicles are awaiting inspection on the Kerch side. Drivers complained of long waits.

More than 1,500 vehicles are awaiting inspection before entering the Crimean Bridge on Saturday afternoon, according to the information center covering the situation on the automobile approaches to the bridge.

"15:00. 1,050 vehicles are in line for manual inspection on the Taman side. 459 vehicles are in line for manual inspection on the Kerch side," the report said.

By 16:00, the situation had changed slightly. 950 vehicles are in line for manual inspection on the Taman side. There are 607 vehicles waiting in line for manual inspection on the Kerch side.

The wait time on the Taman side is estimated to exceed three hours, while on the Kerch side it is estimated to be two hours.

Significant queues in front of the Crimean Bridge have been observed for the second day in a row. By 2:00 PM Moscow time on Saturday, more than 1,100 vehicles were awaiting inspection, Interfax reports.

Drivers reported long waits

Users of the "Crimean Bridge" Telegram chat, which has more than 67,000 subscribers, confirmed they had to wait a long time for inspection and entry onto the bridge, according to comments left over the past hour.

"From the Taman side, we got stuck in traffic at 12:12 PM and entered the bridge at 3:43 PM. Now, judging by the maps, the queue has doubled. We wish everyone patience and good luck," wrote Natalya Ryndina.

"We got in line at 11:40 AM (Taman), and passed inspection at 3:05 PM," commented Tanja. Ostapenko.

"Those who managed to cross the bridge before 12 noon apparently didn't wait at all... And from 12 noon until now, it's been more than 3 hours," Andrei commented.

"For the last 30 minutes, we've been stuck there," wrote Zara Ovsepyan.

Several users complained about some drivers trying to cut into the queue. "We should form a staggered line and not let anyone through," suggested Evgeniya.

The Crimean Bridge has been repeatedly attacked.

As a reminder, electric and hybrid vehicles have been banned from using the Crimean Bridge since November 3. An alternative land route has been proposed for them, along the coast of the Sea of Azov, from Taganrog to Dzhankoy. Authorities cited safety concerns for the decision. On the same day, the first 18 fines were issued to electric car drivers who attempted to cross the bridge despite the ban.

On October 8, 2022, an explosion occurred on the Crimean Bridge, collapsing two spans. Traffic on the bridge was resumed a month later. Vladimir Putin called the incident a terrorist attack, and the FSB stated that the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense was the organizer of the attack.

Human rights activists have recognized all eight defendants in the Crimean Bridge bombing case as political prisoners. According to the activists, all eight defendants are random individuals, and the real organizers and perpetrators are inaccessible to Russian security forces. The prosecutor requested life imprisonment for the defendants.

On July 17, 2023, the Crimean Bridge was attacked by Ukrainian drones, destroying one span and damaging another. Traffic on the bridge was restored only on November 1st of that year.