“Neocolonial piracy” in Crimea: Russia makes roads to transport weapons and funds stolen

Kremlin’s idea of ​​building or repairing nearly 1000 km of roads will not just improve the lives of local residents.

A Russia is carrying a wide Infrastructure Campaign in Crimeawith plans to build or repair more than 1,000 kilometers of roads in the next 5 years.

Officially, the idea is to have civil development, to improve the lives of local residents. But the real goal will be another.

Ukrainian experts and authorities warn of what the true goal is reinforce military logistics and facilitate the illegal extraction of natural resources in other regions occupied of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of the war, in 2022, the intense traffic of Russian military vehicles has severely determined the Roads of Crimea.

Therefore, the authorities appointed by Kremlin significantly intensified construction efforts. In 2024 alone, more than 118 km of new roads were built and more than 688 km repaired, especially on crucial routes for military trains such as the Simferopol – Kheson corridor.

There are plans to renew hundreds of additional kilometers of transport infrastructure. Long -term vision includes almost 1,000 km of work throughout Crimea – a scale that, according to analysts, is incompatible with civil needs during an armed conflict.

One critical aspect: The granitic gravel used in these projects is being extracted from the occupied region of Zaporizehzia, which reinforces the suspicions that the Russian road construction campaign is linked to broader objectives of military reinforcement and economic exploitation.

Sergey Aksyonov, the Kremlin -appointed Crimean chief, said this measure aims to increase road durability, but the Ukrainian authorities underline their strategic function.

“The war began in Crimea and is due to end in Crimea,” said Eskender Bariiev of the Tartar Resources Center of Crimea. “These roads serve the military mobility – Transport of weapons, injured soldiers and reinforcement of positions, especially in difficult land. ”

British information services corroborate this perspective, stating that improved transport calls are allowing Russia extract and move more efficiently mineral and cereal resources from occupied areas, aggravating even more to crisis Economic gives Ukraine.

These materials are allegedly channeled through Crimea and the Kerch Bridge towards Russia.

Petro Andryushchenko, director of the Occupation Study Center, described this operation as “Neocolonial piracy”, Pointing to the massive mineral theft in Zaporizehzia and the Russian plans of geological prospecting in other occupied areas, including Luhansk and Donetsk. This exploration will be central to the Russian strategy to legitimize and profit from the occupation.