Also tonight, we continue to look at what is happening in the war-torn east of Ukraine. For eight years now, Russia has continued to strangle the port of Mariupol in the Donetsk region in the Azov Sea, which is important for Ukraine. TV3 News explains how the war has blocked this economic artery so important to Eastern Ukraine.
The port of Mariupol is the largest and once the strongest Ukrainian port in the Sea of Azov. Here, time is divided into two periods – before and after the Russian aggression in 2014. If we talk about the first period, then the port’s turnover was 15 million tons of cargo a year – mostly metal and coal. Unfortunately, this volume of cargo has now decreased more than three times, as the most important coal mines and metal processing plants are located in areas controlled by pro-Russian separatists.
Read more: TV3 News in Ukraine: Locals ready to fight and condemn the West for failing to do so
The port of Mariupol has a 132-year history. According to the director of the port, the Donetsk region is the heart of Ukraine’s energy, while the port of Mariupol is the driving force of the Donetsk region’s economy, at least until 2014.
See also here: Donbass: We are ready for a strong fight
Igor Barsky
Director – General of the Port of Mariupol
–
“By 2014, the port of Mariuopol handled 14-15 million tons of cargo, mostly metal. This is more than capable of handling all Ukrainian ports in general. Another very important type of cargo for the entire Donbass was coal and clay. In the right words, after the occupation of Donbass in 2014, the port’s growth and development vector began to fall sharply – we reached an all-time low of five million tonnes of cargo a year. In the occupied Donbass, metallurgical factories remained, a lot of coal mines and clay quarries remained. ”
–
This volume of cargo once allowed the port of Mariuopol to work efficiently, to make a profit, to make a contribution to the budget of Ukraine, Donbass and also Mariupol. Before the start of the war, there were 4,500 workers here, but now they employ less than 2,000 people.
“The volume of metal cargo has decreased more than four times, currently we handle only less than four million tons of metal a year. Coal loads have disappeared completely. The port of Mariupol has a unique coal handling complex, which is unparalleled in other Ukrainian ports. At the moment, it has been preserved for six years, it will probably never work again, ”explains Barsky.
The port of Mariupol, a shipyard, has always been the only and main point of service for all ships in the European Union, Ukraine and other countries around the world. This market has been lost since the start of active hostilities. International cargo no longer arrives at this port. Moscow achieved even greater isolation in Mariupol by building a bridge to the occupied Crimea. This put an end to international freight to Mariupol. Shipbuilding and repair capacity are also used to a minimum.
Igor Barsky
Director – General of the Port of Mariupol
–
“The behavior of our neighbor, the Russian Federation, affects our work and our chances of surviving every day. The blockade of the Sea of Azov, the ban on crossing the Kerch Strait – ships flying the Ukrainian flag are not allowed there, international ships do not want to use this route either, they never know when a new blockade may start. When it comes to exports, metallurgical companies in our region are forced to ship their cargo through Black Sea ports, which hampers logistics, supplies, affects the competitiveness of our businesses and affects the development of our region. ”
–
Mariupol has always been important for Russia to be able to connect the annexed Crimean peninsula with the separatist-controlled east of Ukraine. Although it is about a hundred kilometers from Mariupol to Crimea, this particular port is of strategic importance. Eight years after the start of hostilities, it continues to be blocked by Russian warships. As a result, the port of Mariupol, and therefore the national economy as a whole, has suffered losses of more than EUR 90 billion over eight years. Foreign investors are also reluctant to invest in port development.-
Read more: Ukrainians are demanding a stronger Western response to Russia’s threat
The presence of Russian warships in the Sea of Azov raises concerns about a new conflict and the deterioration of the current situation.
– .
