Moscow used the Kerch Bridge to export the stolen minerals from the occupied territories to Ukraine. This is stated in the daily bulletin of the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom, a summary of which was published on the social network X.
The authorities in Kiev have long signaled the theft of resources from Russia. Ukraine has deposits of iron ore, coal, titanium, uranium, manganese, gold and lithium. These are resources that are almost certainly sought after by Russia, but are also potential targets as Moscow seeks to destroy Ukraine's economy, London's military said.
According to British intelligence, one of the reasons Russia is seeking to improve transport networks in the occupied part of Ukraine is because it wants to mine more Ukrainian minerals. A Russian official from the Zaporozhye region previously said that continued modernization and construction of road and rail transport links with Russia will improve communication routes not only for military logistics, but also for grain and mineral exports.
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"South of Dniprorudny in Ukraine's Zaporozhye region, Russia continues mining, exporting iron ore by rail. Trains travel through the Crimea, through the Kerch Bridge to Russia. This activity is not without risk as the trains have to travel through areas known to have Ukrainian guerrillas who have already claimed responsibility for attacks, the British Defense Ministry noted.