The information comes from communications that Ukrainian security services say they intercepted. At the end of October, leaders of Russian and Chinese companies close to Moscow secretly discussed the project of building an underwater tunnel, linking Russia to Crimea, reveals the Washington Post.
On the Moscow side, the idea would have emerged after the attack on the Kerch bridge, the only route connecting it to the controlled peninsula. 18 kilometers long, this highly strategic bridge has become a favored target for the Ukrainians. Twice already, with a truck bomb and then with naval drones, kyiv has succeeded in damaging this route crossing the Kertsh Strait, which allows Moscow to supply the peninsula. A tunnel would thus make it possible to establish an alternative route safe from bombing, according to intercepted discussions between the leaders.
In addition to these discussions, emails intercepted by Ukrainian services and which the Washington Post was able to consult and corroborate, show that one of the main Chinese construction companies has indicated its desire to participate in the project. According to the progressive American daily, a Russian-Chinese consortium was recently formed in Crimea for this purpose.
Would such a project, buried under the sea, be feasible? If its construction is technically possible, estimate the engineering experts interviewed by the Washington Post, such a project in a war zone would be unprecedented. Furthermore, it would cost billions of dollars and take years.