A Russian-Chinese consortium has already been created in Crimea, which will carry out the construction, sources said.
The aggressor country Russia is in talks with China on building an underwater tunnel through the Kerch Strait to Crimea. This was reported by The Washington Post on Friday, November 24.
Allegedly, at the end of October, there were secret negotiations between Russian and Chinese businessmen associated with the governments of their countries.
The talks, which included meetings in late October, were prompted by growing Russian concerns about the security of the 11-mile Kerch Strait bridge, which has served as a key logistics line for the Russian military but twice when Ukraine bombed and remains a vulnerable target.
The talks underscore Russia’s determination to maintain its control over Crimea, which it illegally annexed in 2014, as well as Moscow’s growing reliance on China for international support.
According to US officials and engineers, such an idea would be difficult to implement. At least $5 billion must be spent on construction, which will take years. Moreover, such a task has never been carried out in a combat zone.
The authors of the article note that the Kerch tunnel is unlikely to be completed in time to help Russia in its war effort. But the Kremlin may see it as a long-term investment — one aimed at providing a secure territorial connection that can compete for decades to come.
In addition, it is indicated that the project will create political and financial risks for China, which has never officially recognized the annexation of Crimea by Russia, and whose companies could fall into the trap of sanctions. economy imposed by the US and the EU on the aggressive country.
Despite this, intercepted emails indicate that one of China’s largest construction companies has said it is willing to participate. They were allegedly given to the publication by Ukrainian officials.
“The authenticity of the messages was confirmed by other information obtained separately by The Washington Post, including corporate records showing that a Russian-Chinese consortium involving the individuals named in the emails was recently created in Crimea,” the newspaper wrote.
One of these messages states that the China Railway Construction Corporation CRCC is ready to provide construction of railway and road facilities of any complexity in the Crimean region. In the past, this corporation has repeatedly cooperated with the Russian Federation, especially in helping to expand metro lines in Moscow.
The publication contacted Russian businessman Vladimir Kalyuzhny, who was named in the documents as the general director of the consortium. He said there was “a lot of heat” on the issue, then said he wouldn’t give any information to the “hostile media” and abruptly ended the conversation.
We remind you that the Crimean Bridge was hit at least twice. In October 2022, a powerful explosion occurred here, causing great destruction. Later, the SBU said it was a special operation.
And in July 2023, the Crimean Bridge was successfully attacked by Sea Baby sea drones.
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Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.