a Ukraine has once again stated about the preparation of a full-scale military conflict with Russia. This time such assumptions were made by the commander of the naval forces (naval forces) of Ukraine Oleksiy Neiipp. According to him, Russian troops may try to invade Kherson region — to keep water from the Dnieper river via the North Crimean canal to Crimea. NEWS.ru figured out how justified such a forecast.
The North Crimean canal, which runs in the Kherson region, has long been a subject of active discussion in Russia and Ukraine. Lies between Crimea and the mainland, it is considered to be an important waterway for the supply of the Peninsula. However, despite the events of 2014, control of the channel still maintains the Ukrainian side, build there a dam where Crimeans can’t use water.
Thus in Kiev there is no unequivocal opinion on this matter. For example, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denis Shmyhal said that to limit the flow of fresh water in Crimea is impossible, since Ukrainian authorities believe the Peninsula its own territory. Many other politicians, however, believe that the water blockade of the Crimean people is a logical step.
Under these conditions, the Ukrainian military are regularly trying to present the North Crimean canal as an object for possible clashes with Russian forces. Now this was stated by the commander of naval forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Neiipp.
We are preparing for full-scale military confrontation, knowing that if any occur, unfortunately, will be many casualties and our soldiers and civilians, — he told, answering a question of the newspaper “Duma” about a possible Russian attempt to break out of the Crimea on the South of Kherson region.
However, as noted in a conversation with NEWS.ru captain 1st rank of reserve Sergey Ishchenko, the statement of the Ukrainian rear Admiral is more political in nature, but in reality made the scenario virtually impossible. If we assume that the invasion of Russian forces with the aim of taking the channel under control and would have happened, the naval forces of Ukraine in any case not in a position to discourage him, said our source.
theoretically Such an operation would be carried out by ground forces from the Crimea. Another issue is the feasibility of the invasion. Kiev it “expects” from 2014, the Ukrainian government, like a mantra, again: “attack Tomorrow, tomorrow attack!” Obviously, it is necessary from the standpoint of domestic policy to maintain a “militaristic fervor”. From the point of view of, say, shopping, for Russia is absolutely pointless to open the access to this channel. He covered the dam, which was built by the Ukrainians very quickly. Assuming that Russian forces decide to get to it and open, nothing crimp terminals and wiring harnessest the Ukrainian side to make a new, say, a hundred kilometers upstream, and so on.
Sergey Ishchenko, captain 1st rank of reserve
Russia has enough of resources to the water supply of the Peninsula, he said. The government of the Crimea, of course, is to worry about this because it has done little in this respect: the earlier years were favorable, snow and rain enough. That now makes the Crimean authorities, transferring the water from one end of the Peninsula to the other, it is only a half measure. Would solve the problem of desalination plants in Israel, where geographic and climatic conditions much worse than in Crimea, and does not capture some of the dam, said Ishchenko.
allegations that Russia is supposedly going to break land corridor will not change in 2014. When there was the Crimean bridge in Kiev said that Moscow will do such a corridor through the coast of the Azov sea — recalls the expert.
All such statements the Ukrainian side are not a real risk of clashes, and with a desire to “knock out” something from the West — in the face of “Russian threat” and to mobilize the population, etc., believes Ishchenko. And because the theme of the North-Crimean channel will appear in the statements from Kiev again and again.
