In may, exactly two years since the start of the blockade by Russia of the Azov sea. Edge ships of the FSB in control of the Kerch Strait, restraining the commercial court, next under the Crimean bridge. This poses a military threat to the Azov sea coast and disrupts the economic activities of the Ukrainian sea ports in Mariupol and Berdyansk. The way out is to build a navigable black sea-Azov sea canal through the isthmus of Perekop. About this project “Apostrophe” said the former head of the state enterprise “Centre for environmental initiatives” Alexander Mochalov.
For two years, as the Ukrainian ports of the Azov — Mariupol and Berdyansk almost blocked by the Russian military, who control the Strait of Kerch — the only passage from the Black sea to Azov. Unreasonable delay long-term foreign and Ukrainian vessels under the pretext of checking them before passing through the Strait, increase commercial risks for shipowners. Thus, built by the Russians, the Crimean bridge, has become a de facto barrier to navigation and is a tool of blackmail against our country.
The construction of a new canal from the Azov to the Black sea will reduce the time of passage of the tonnage of ships in our ports, as well as remove the dependence of the navigation pass under the Crimean bridge. This is a great opportunity to limit the provocations from the Russian Federation to resume the passenger, cargo, and military transport. This hydraulic structure will create thousands of jobs, provide jobs the infrastructure of the ports and cities of the Azov-black sea region.
According to experts, for the construction of the canal is necessary to make excavation with a width of 100 meters through the Arabat spit and isthmus of Perekop, as well as to deepen the channel in lake Sivash and Chongarsky Strait. The total depth of the channel for normal navigation should reach 13-15 meters.
The total length of the channel of the future channel will be about 120 miles through Perekop, Chongar Strait, the Gulf of Sivash and the Arabat spit. In this case excavation will require only 20 kilometers.
Funding for the project has been preliminarily discussed with the concerned institutions, received a positive assessment by potential investors, and the project is in the process of discussion.
This project is aimed at strengthening economic security and sovereignty of Ukraine. In addition, this channel will completely block the supply of the Dnieper water in the occupied Russian Crimea. Existing restrictions on the supply of Ukrainian water led to the partial or complete loss of crops on an area of up to 120 thousand hectares.
Further steps in this direction will lead to the complete economic collapse of the Northern regions of the Crimea and to the discontent of the population. Are afraid of panic invaders, who now throws the fictional prison experts about a possible environmental catastrophe, including for Ukraine, in the case of construction Perekop canal. All these speculations are without any serious study, and is intended to prevent Ukraine to realize large-scale project aimed at ensuring its own interests in the region.
The topic is not new and was raised repeatedly. Currently, our country has all the necessary tools to implement such a large project. And the internal resources of Ukraine allow to provide the necessary funds, or at least most of them. However, due to the fragmentation of thematically related enterprises in different ministries and agencies, and creates an unfavorable background for advancing this task. The skeptics are already rubbing their hands in anticipation of new information for scrutiny.
In history many examples of such criticism, after all, and the Panama and Suez canals otherwise a gamble as no one called. Nevertheless, everything works, and it has paid off.
We can do it.
