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A severe water shortage for the needs of occupied Crimea can lead to an economic and humanitarian disaster.
This was stated in an interview with CrimeaRealii, an expert on Eurasia and former US State Department analyst Paul Goble. He recalled that the Russian occupation authorities lost the water supply of mainland Ukraine and could not provide a sufficient quantity neither for agriculture, nor for industrial needs, nor for the population.
“Rice cultivation has ceased and the agricultural sector is generally in decline. Industrial companies are also forced to cut costs, as they do not have enough water to work. The inhabitants of ordinary Crimea receive water only for four hours a day and can not count on its purity. “, – explained the expert.
According to him, in 2021 the problem will be further aggravated against the background of the increasing economic costs required to solve it.
Goble noted that according to official figures, Russia has spent about $ 700 million on additional drilling and water treatment.
In addition, the launch of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s project for the extraction of fresh water from the Sea of Azov will require very large financial costs.
“This is a huge amount of money, and the real costs of implementing this project are likely to be even higher,” the analyst suggested.
As OBOZREVATEL reported, the problem with fresh water in Russian-occupied Crimea in 2021 halts Russia’s plans to militarize the peninsula, but will have positive aspects for Ukraine. This was stated by the former permanent representative of the President of Ukraine in Crimea, Boris Babin.
