Ukraine Army hampering Russia’s plan to build highway from Rostov region to Crimea - expert

The efforts undertaken by the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the lack of manpower prevent the invasion force from building a motorway that would connect Russia’s Rostov region and temporarily occupied Crimea via a land corridor.

This was stated by the chief of the Institute of Strategic Research and Security think tank, Pavlo Lysianskyi who partook at the presentation of a report on Russia’s plans for the temporarily occupied areas of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

"While repair works are underway along motorways, there is no full-scale construction as of today because they are distracted by the actions of Ukraine’s Armed Forces," Lysianskyi noted.

According to the expert, Russia is facing a “catastrophic shortage” of road construction workers.

"They say 140 million people live in Russia, but the country is very large in terms of territory so they just don’t have enough people who can do this job... They have a population deficit of 6-8 million in Russia. And today there is a shortage of workers in the occupied territories. Constructing that road remains only a plan," he added.

Lysianskyi said that on December 22, 2023, the Russians adopted the socio-economic program for the reconstruction of occupied territories, where they invested RUB 37.6 billion, or nearly $400 million.

Part of these funds should be allocated for the construction of a road in two directions: from Rostov region along the Sea of Azov coast to Crimea, as well as the road that leads from Donetsk region to the occupied territories.

"But these are only plans. Well, they were supposed to ‘promise’ people something ahead of dictator Putin’s elections," the expert notes.

As reported, the deputy permanent representative of the President of Ukraine for Crimea, Denys Chystikov, said local carriers refuse to drive along so-called land corridor from Russia to occupied Crimea as the road is already on the line of fire. Due to this logistical issue, prices for basic goods have been rising on the peninsula.

Photo: Ruslan Kaniuka