The tunnel to Crimea is completed: Putin starts with occupation?

The tunnel to Crimea is completed: Putin starts with occupation?

They formed a "consortium" for that purpose, writes The Washington Post.

The Washington Post cites intercepted emails provided to the newspaper by unnamed Ukrainian officials.

The paper said it had confirmed the authenticity of the messages, citing company registration documents that showed a Russian-Chinese consortium had recently been established in Crimea that included individuals mentioned in the emails.

"The negotiations, which included meetings in late October, were prompted by growing Russian concerns about the security of the 11-mile-long bridge across the Kerch Strait," the text said.

An email circulating among consortium officials in recent weeks referred to meetings with Chinese delegates in Crimea. China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) is described in one of them, dated October 4, as "ready to ensure the construction of railway and road projects of any complexity in the Crimea region."

CRCC is a state-owned company that has built many of China's most significant road and rail networks and has developed extensive ties with Russia in recent years through projects including the expansion of the Moscow Metro system due for completion in 2021.

Vladimir Kalyuzhny, a Russian businessman listed as the consortium's chief executive officer, dismissed the question, then said he would not give any information to "hostile media" and abruptly ended the conversation. His response contradicted the way in which the proposal appeared in an internal email.

In a message sent last month to a Russian official who is one of the main representatives of Crimea in Moscow, Kalyuzhny said he had "a letter from our Chinese partners about the readiness of one of the largest companies in China, CRCC, to participate as a general contractor in the construction of a tunnel under the Kerch Pass".

The email in question was sent to Georgi Muradov, who has been identified as the permanent representative of the Republic of Crimea to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Muradov did not respond to a request for comment.

Americans are surprised

Six of the nine founders of the consortium are not listed in the registration documents. The emails also show China's efforts to maintain secrecy.

One of the emails stated that CRCC would participate only under the condition of "strict confidentiality" and that the company's name would be replaced by "another, unrelated legal entity" in all contracts. Another email mentions a Chinese bank willing to "convert its dollar funds into rubles for their transfer to Crimea for project financing."

The emails also cite conversations between the consortium and a CRCC executive identified as Xu Huaqiang. This name corresponds to a Chinese national listed as vice president and deputy general manager of the company's international division.

"Given the risks of sanctions and sabotage, US officials and experts expressed surprise that the CRCC would risk involvement," the VP reported. Experts on major international transport projects suggest that it is technically feasible to build a tunnel under the Kerch Strait and that China has the necessary experience and technology.

However, they say it will be a major undertaking, comparable in size to the Denmark-Germany tunnel, which has been under construction for eight years, is estimated to cost more than $8.7 billion and will be the longest in Europe when it is finally completed at the end of a decade.

Experts doubt that the Kerch tunnel will be completed in time to help Russia in its military efforts. Still, Moscow could see it as a long-term investment in securing secure communications with Ukrainian territory that could remain disputed for decades.