Russian official lays out plan of Crimea-Mariupol-Donbass corridor

A Russian official has laid out their plans to connect the Crimea peninsula to the south-eastern Russian-occupied Donbas region “once the military takes control” of the key port city of Mariupol.

Kirill Stepanov is an adviser of Russia’s Southern Federal District which includes Crimea – the Ukrainian territory annexed by Russia in 2014.

He told Russian news outlet RIA Novosti in recent hours that “taking control of the highway from Crimea to Mariupol… will reliably connect the peninsula with the Donbas by a transport corridor”.

He added that this corridor and Crimea’s land bridge would form a “transit territory” connecting the Caucusus region, the sea ports along the northern shores of the Black Sea, and the industrial centres of the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.

This military goal has long been pointed to as the reason why Russia wants Mariupol so badly.

Russian forces have incessantly shelled the city for weeks. Civilians there have suffered one of the worst bombardments in the whole of Ukraine, and over 80% of homes are now damaged. A Human Rights Watch report this week quoted residents describing it as a “hellscape”.

Ukraine has asked for help for the city, and has refused to surrender it to the Russians. It is their last holdout in that part of the country.

BBC