Moscow discussed Russia-Crimea tunnel project with Chinese construction companies

Russia and Chinese business executives held secret talks to discuss plans to build an underwater tunnel connecting Crimea to Russia, the Washington Post reported on Friday (Nov 25). The report based on communications intercepted by Ukraine's security services in October, Russia is hoping to establish a transportation route that would be protected from attacks. 

It added that after analysing details of meetings in recent weeks, one of China's largest construction companies has signalled that it is ready to participate. 

Crimea is a peninsula which was annexed by Russia in 2014 after a referendum that Ukraine and the West never recognised. The report noted that the discussions highlight Russia's aim to maintain its grip on Crimea. 

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WaPo report mentioned that US officials said that constructing a tunnel near the existing bridge would face enormous obstacles. And the engineering experts, have knowledge about work of this nature, said that such project which will cost billions of dollars and take years to finish. 

The experts told the media outlet that Russia has clear reasons for pursuing it amid the ongoing war. As quoted, Alexander Gabuev, who is an expert on Moscow-Beijing relations at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said that Russia "faces [the] risk that Ukraine will try to disrupt the Kerch bridge for many years to come". 

One of the emails dated Oct 4 describes the Chinese Railway Construction Corporation as "ready to ensure the construction of railway and road construction projects of any complexity in the Crimean region". 

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Ukrainian sabotage of Crimea bridge 'overturns' naval operations 

The head of Ukraine's main intelligence agency said in a video broadcast on Friday that a Ukrainian sea drone attack on Russia's Crimean bridge in July had "overturned" naval operations and forced Moscow to resort to ferries to move weaponry. 

Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), said the second of two major attacks in August had seriously disrupted operations on the 19-km bridge, Europe's longest, and dented the notion of Russian invincibility. 

"We have practically overturned the philosophy of naval operations," Maliuk said in the first of a series of televised documentaries entitled "SBU, the Special Operations of Victory."

"We have destroyed the myth of Russian invincibility. The country is a fake. The bridge is doomed. Plenty of surprises lie ahead and not just the Crimean bridge." 

(With inputs from agencies) 

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