Businessmen who have been overheard have connections with authorities in Moscow and Beijing. I heard they met at the end of October. A related Chinese-Russian consortium was formed in Crimea. Vladimir Kałużny, a Russian businessman who is referred to in the papers as the general manager of the consortium erstwhile he was contacted by the reporters “The Washington Post”, said he would not give information to “enemy media” and abruptly concluded the conversation. The registration papers of the consortium show that six of the 9 directors of the company do not appear in public contracts, which is allowed under Russian law to defend businessmen from Western sanctions.
China's ready.
The Russians fear that the 18-kilometre road-rail bridge through the Kerchen Strait, which Ukraine has struck twice effectively, remains their weak point, and this is simply a key logistics line for the Russian army. According to the e-mails, the Chinese State Railway Construction corp (CRCC) expressed its desire to undertake an ambitious tunnel construction project. The news of October 4 stated that the company is "ready to implement rail and road projects of any complexity in the Crimean region". The company has connections with Russia through various projects, including the expansion of Moscow Metro, completed in 2021.
Russia wants to build a tunnel under the Kerch Strait with China's help, – The Washington Post
According to the publication, the Chinese Railway Construction corp (CRCC) "is ready to estimation the construction of railway and road facilities of any complexity in the Crimean... pic.twitter.com/IAOaBBMANE
— Devana 🇺🇦 (@DevanaUkraine) November 24, 2023
Russia increasingly dependent
Russia, cut off from Western partners, is becoming increasingly dependent on China's support. The issue of China's engagement in the construction of the tunnel is not yet settled, as Beijing has never recognised the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014 and can inactive prevent Chinese state companies from being active in a network of sanctions imposed on Moscow by the United States and the European Union. The e-mails revealed China's efforts to keep a secret. They supply a condition that CRCC will only participate in the task if the request of complete confidentiality is met and the company's name is replaced by a ‘other, unrelated legal person’ in all agreements.
Is it possible to build a tunnel?
Technically, the construction of the tunnel is as feasible as possible, but its completion would be almost impossible at a time erstwhile Russia and Ukraine are at war. president Zelenski has repeatedly promised to regain Crimea and always stresses that peace talks cannot begin until Russian forces leave the area. Ukraine considers this to be 1 of its main war objectives. According to American experts, building a tunnel close an existing bridge would encounter immense obstacles. It would most likely cost billions of dollars and lasted for years – in the war zone. Additionally, it would should be conducted underground, conventional methods without utilizing modern solutions. Only in this way could it be partially protected from sabotage – due to the fact that the attack could only happen at the entrance to a hollow tunnel.
However, if the tunnel task were to begin, thousands of construction workers and equipment would be within the scope of the Ukrainian army. On the another hand, if Russia were to keep Crimea, the underwater tunnel would be decisive given the likelihood of continuing Ukrainian attacks on the Crimean bridge. The Kremlin has already started akin infrastructure projects in occupied Ukraine. Satellite images show fresh sections of the railway along the coast of the Azov Sea, which link them to continental Russia and Crimea.
