KYIV.UkraineGate , 3 , June , 2022 | Society.
If Russia occupied Odessa, it would take control of the Odessa port plant.
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“In my opinion, it is obvious that if they managed to get to Odessa, then control over the plant (Odessa port – ed.) – would also be established. As inalienable consequences, ”Ponomarev said.
He explained that Russia has not yet launched an alternative ammonia pipeline through which ammonia could be transported. Therefore, currently there is only one way for Russia to export it – through the Odessa port plant, through the ammonia pipeline “Togliatti-Odesa”. In 2020, this pipeline provided 68% of the total sales of Togliattiazot (ToAZ) – a Russian company that produces this ammonia.
“Even before the start of the war, Russia was actively preparing for the construction of an alternative ammonia pipeline: the route was agreed upon, land allotments were made.
And the implementation of this project was hindered only by one thing – the corporate conflict that raged around “Togliattiazot” and the incompleteness of legal procedures, “- said the Russian opposition.
Togive
The Russian Federation has constantly stated that working with Ukraine is risky. Thus, Ukrhimtransamiak (one of the world’s largest carriers of liquid ammonia and the operator of the Ukrainian section of the main ammonia pipeline “Togliatti-Odesa”) in 2016 stopped the transit of ammonia, in 2017 promised to preserve part of the pipeline to Ukraine. At the end of 2021, reports of a decrease in the rate of ammonia transit appeared in the public sphere.
ToAZ has been looking for ways to diversify its exports for decades. But in fact did not succeed in this.
At the beginning of March this year, Khimaktivinvest, a company controlled by Russian businessman Dmitry Mazepin, increased its stake in Togliattiazot from 9.75% to 80.51%. Mazepin directly controls another 0.23%. And this despite the sanctions imposed on Mazepin by the EU.
“I will tell you that the probability that Mazepin should have taken control of this enterprise (” Togliattiazot “) – it was approaching 100%. At least from the Kremlin’s point of view, this issue has already been resolved. The only question was when it would happen. Because there are legal procedures that needed to be completed. That’s what I’m telling you about – they weren’t finished, “Ponomarev summed up.
At the same time, as noted by economic expert Alexei Kushch, Odesa is a strategically important city for Russia in terms of logistics and trade of Ukraine with world countries, both in terms of exports and imports.
And despite the fact that the possibility of missile strikes, both from a Russian ship in the Black Sea and from Russian troops – is still high, a number of companies are not the target of Russia’s attack, among them – including the Odessa Port Plant (OPP), said Kushch . And all – through the ammonia pipeline “Togliatti-Odesa”.
According to Kushch, it is important for the Russians not to destroy this plant, but to take it under control because for the Russian company Togliattiazot – Odessa port plant – this is the only way to transport the ammonia it produces.
Adviser to the President Oleh Ustenko said that the war in Ukraine is also beneficial for the aggressor from an economic point of view . In his opinion, by occupying Ukraine, the Russians wanted to have as much influence as possible on the economy of our state.
Among those involved in planning the attack on Ukraine may be Russian businessman, co-owner of Uralkhim, Uralkali and Togliattiazot, Dmitry Mazepin, who said late last year that he wanted to reduce dependence on ammonia supplies through Ukraine.
It should be added that Russia receives up to $ 12 billion annually from ammonia supplies through Ukraine to the West.
Source: Ukrgate
