Russia aims to legalize the occupied Berdiansk port and incorporate it into its transport network
The Russian Federation is actively pursuing a plan to officially recognize and integrate the port complex of Berdiansk, currently under occupation, into its transportation system.
The next step involves formalizing the stolen Ukrainian assets under the guise of establishing a ‘Russian state border.’ According to Petro Andriuschenko, head of the Occupation Studies Center, on October 15, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order to establish a permanent multilateral cargo checkpoint at the maritime port of Berdiansk, located in the temporarily occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia region.
The project assigns the technical setup of the port to the Russian state company ‘Roskgranstroy,’ with completion scheduled by the end of 2026.
Russian plans foresee the port handling approximately 4,800 crew members and over 200 vessels annually, with total cargo turnover reaching up to 1.5 million tons.
Recently, an explosion occurred at an electricity substation in Berdiansk, causing power outages at the Russian military repair base.
Cargo throughput at Russian ports for the third quarter of 2024 decreased by 2.3% compared to the same period last year, with some ports in the Sea of Azov and Black Sea region experiencing nearly an 8% decline.