Russia building road to connect Crimea, Mariupol, with Russia's Rostov Oblast, Putin claims
Russia is planning to build a ring road around the Azov Sea, passing through the occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during his annual press conference and a call-in program on Dec. 19.
The road is expected to run through Russia's Rostov Oblast, the occupied Ukrainian towns of Mariupol, Melitopol, and Henichesk in the country's east and south, and through Dzhankoi in occupied Crimea.
Moscow has already built a 40-kilometer-long (25 miles) segment between the Russian city of Taganrog and Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, according to Putin.
"We plan to bring the roads to Russian standards within three years," he said.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Russia is also illegally constructing a railroad between Russia's city Rostov-on-Don and Crimea, which would run via occupied Donetsk, Mariupol, and Berdiansk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The railroad will likely serve as an alternative to the Kerch Bridge, which connects the Russian mainland with the Crimean Peninsula and became a critical supply route for Moscow's forces after the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine's military intelligence said the Russian railway could pose "a serious problem" and is "an important target" for Kyiv.
Martin Fornusek
