Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Accused of Building New 'Berlin Wall' on Crimean Border

A Ukrainian former foreign minister, Volodymyr Ogryzko, has accused Russia of attempting to build a new "Berlin Wall."

A former Ukrainian foreign minister has accused Russia of building a new "Berlin Wall" by laying land mines between Crimea and the Ukrainian mainland.

"There is only one question remaining for Moscow: They haven't decided yet where" the wall will run, Volodymyr Ogryzko, who served as a foreign minister under former president Viktor Yushchenko, said in comments broadcast by 112 Ukraine.

It could go "through eastern Ukrainian regions, across the center of Ukraine, or it could be limited to Crimea," Ogryzko added.

Ogryzko also said that by annexing Crimea, severing its connection with Ukraine proper, and planting anti-personnel mines to prevent any attempts at a counter-invasion, Russia was effectively constructing a new "Berlin Wall."

Earlier this month, a Ukrainian delegation to a meeting on land mines in Geneva said Russian troops in Crimea were creating minefields "at the entry points between the continental part of Ukraine and Crimean peninsula," AFP reported.  

Following the annexation of Crimea last month, concerns have mounted in the West that Russia may move in to take over parts of eastern and central Ukraine.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more