Russia’s defense ministry on Tuesday claimed it has opened a land corridor to Russian-occupied Crimea, allowing civilians and goods to pass through eastern Ukrainian territory now under its control.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in a conference call on Tuesday that the military, working with Russian Railways, restored 1,200 kilometers (745 mi) of rail tracks and allowed “full traffic” between Russia and the Donbass region of eastern Ukraine. The roads were opened for giving. and Crimea, a peninsula occupied by Russian forces from Ukraine in 2014. Water supply through the North Crimean Canal – a lifeline to Crimea – had also resumed, Shoigu said.
According to an official readout of the call, Shoigu said the land corridor allowed Russia to begin delivering goods to Mariupol, Burdiansk and Kherson, the south-eastern Ukrainian port cities that Russia had planned to launch its offensive in late February. It has since been confiscated.
He claimed Mariupol and Burdiansk ports were operating normally and ready to ship grain amid international condemnation over a months-long blockade of Russia’s major ports that has ruined millions of tonnes of grain in Ukraine.
As instructed by the Supreme Commander (Russian President Vladimir Putin), we are ready to load grain into the ports,” Shoigu said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine should de-mine coastal waters to allow grain ships to pass and ensure that Russia would facilitate their passage and attack Ukraine. The de-mined will not use sea corridors.
“President Putin … said that Ukraine should de-mine the approach to the ports, which would allow the ships, after checking by our military to ensure that the ships do not import weapons, enter the port. To do, to load with grain and then, if necessary, also with our help, proceed to international waters, ”Peskov told reporters on a regular conference call.
Some background: The minister’s remarks have drawn condemnation from global leaders month-long blockade By Russian forces at major ports in Ukraine – including Mariupol on the Azov Sea and Odessa on the Black Sea – that has trapped more than 20 million tons of grain inside the country. In a speech to the United Nations Security Council on Monday, European Council President Charles Michel called on the Kremlin to “use the food supply as a covert missile against developing countries” by holding millions of tons of Ukrainian grain hostage and blocking Ukraine’s ports. ” accused of.
CNN’s Sana Noor Haq, Eliza Mackintosh, Megan Vazquez and Sam Fossum contributed reporting to this post.