Mariupol seaport losses deepen from Crimean Bridge, minister says

The Mariupol seaport has lost 33% of its fleet and
140K tons in metal exports owing to the construction of the Crimean Bridge and
its height restrictions, said on March 14 Vadym Chernysh, the minister of
temporarily occupied territories and internally displaced persons. Those ships
with heights higher than 33 meters haven’t been able to pass under the bridge,
he said, adding that the port’s volume has been reduced to nearly a third since
the Russian aggression began in 2014. Recall, Russia opened the Crimean Bridge
to traffic in May 2018.

To improve the activity of Ukraine’s Azov Sea ports In
Mariupol and Berdiansk, the government is considering investing domestic
financing resources, as well as tapping EU funds, Chernysh said. A key decision
has already been reaching on financing infrastructure projects to support the
port’s work, including rail, auto and sea transit. The construction of the
Mariupol port’s grain terminal is scheduled to conclude this year, he also
noted.

Zenon Zawada: For the
reason of lost economic activity owing to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the
residents of southeastern Ukraine are supporting the candidacies of Volodymyr
Zelenskiy and Yulia Tymoshenko over President Poroshenko’s re-election. This is
the intended result by the Russian leadership, which understands that southeastern
residents consistently favor tight economic ties with Russia when deciding whom
to vote for.

Had Poroshenko handled addressed the lost economic
activity (by leading efforts invest in major infrastructure projects, improve rule
of law, punish corruption), he could have won over many southeastern residents.
But instead he has overlooked these critical issues and has pursued an
elections strategy focused on divisive cultural issues, which has only
alienated southeastern Ukrainians even further.