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Kerch bridge and a Polish expulsion, May 2018
Summary
A look back at two reports from mid-May 2018 involving Russia, Crimea and Ukraine's western neighbour.
What was happening around Ukraine on 18 May 2018? Two reports from the preceding days show Russia's reach across the region, one on the Crimean peninsula and one in Poland.
A bridge to Crimea
On 15 May 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin opened the road section of the Kerch Strait Bridge, a 19-kilometre (12-mile) road-and-rail link between Crimea and Russia. The opening was reported as part of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.
Russia had invaded and occupied the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine in February and March 2014, and then annexed it after an illegitimate referendum. That took place amid the uncertainty that followed Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity. The invasion marked the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
An expulsion from Poland
On 17 May 2018, Poland detained Yekaterina C., a Russian woman, and expelled her. She had been part of a pro-Russian group that sought to whip up tension between Poland and Ukraine.
Why the two reports sit together
The reports concern different places, and they do not state any link between them. Taken together, they mark the days before 18 May 2018 as ones in which Russian actions touching Ukraine drew attention both on the Crimean peninsula and in neighbouring Poland.
