Control of the Black Sea Basin Is Crucial to Russia's Economy and Security
On March 18, 2014 Russia and Crimea signed a treaty which gave the Russian Federation control over the Black Sea as well as the Sea of Azov, the west coastline of which borders on Eastern Ukraine and the Donetsk region. The agreement was announced by Russian President Putin who said two "constituent regions" of Crimea were to join the Russian Federation: the "Republic of Crimea" and the "City of Sevastopol," both with the status of autonomous regions.
The status of Sevastopol as an autonomous entity separate from Crimea is related to the location of Russia's naval base in Sevastopol. After the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia retained its naval base in Sevastopol under a bilateral agreement with Ukraine according to which the naval base was within Ukraine under a lease agreement. With the signing of the March 18th treaty, that agreement became null and void. Sevastopol including the Russian naval base became part of an autonomous region within the Russian Federation and Crimea's coastline and territorial waters henceforth belonged to the Russian Federation.
As a result, Russia now formally controls a much larger portion of the Black Sea. The Eastern part of Crimea -- including the Kerch straits -- are now under Russia's jurisdiction and control. On the Eastern side of the Kerch straits is Russia's Krasnodar region and extending southwards are the port cities of Novorossiysk and Sochi.
Novorossiysk is also strategic. It is Russia's largest commercial port on the Black Sea, at the cross-roads of major oil and gas pipelines between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.
Historically, the Kerch straits which constitute a gateway from the Black Sea to Russia's major waterways including the Don and the Volga rivers, have played a strategic role.
During World War II, the Kerch peninsula was an important point of transit by land and water. It was occupied by Nazi Germany and taken back by the Red Army. In the coldest months of winter, it became an ice bridge linking Crimea to the Krasnodar region.
The Kerch straits are about five kilometres in length and 4.5 kilometres wide at the narrowest point between the tip of Eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula. Kerch is a major commercial port linked to railway, ferry and river routes.
Kerch straits:
photo taken from
Crimean side (left); aerial view of straits shows their narrow width
(right)
The Sea of Azov
The Kerch Straits also link the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov. The Sea of Azov connects with the Don River and the Volga, through the Volga Don Canal. In turn, the Volga flows into the Caspian sea.The Kerch-Yenikalskiy Canal allows large (ocean) vessels to transit from the Black sea to the Sea of Azov.
The Kerch Straits also link the Black Sea to the Volga, which in turn connects to the Moscow River through the Moscow Canal.
In December 2013 Moscow signed a bilateral agreement with the Yanukovych government in Kiev pertaining to the construction of a bridge across the Kerch Straits, connecting Eastern Crimea (which was part of Ukraine) with Russia's Krasnodar region. [Called the Crimean Bridge, the link became operational for road transport in 2018, opened to passenger trains at the end of 2019, and commenced carrying freight trains in 2020 -- Ed Note].
This article was published in
Volume 52 Number 2 - February 25, 2022
Article Link:
https://cpcml.ca/Tmlm2022/Articles/MS52025.HTM
Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca