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 the full 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 across the bridge in a convoy of vehicles. “At last, thanks to your talent, this project, this miracle, has happened,” Putin told the workers, as reported by Reuters.

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.

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.

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.