Deputy PM Reznikov: Occupiers in Crimea want to take water from Ukraine for military needs

“There is enough water for the civilian population in Crimea assuming that it is used in the ordinary course. The water they want to take from the mainland of Ukraine, they want to take, first of all, for military needs, because there is complete militarization of Crimea, the increase in the number of military contingent. We know this for sure, we are not sitting still, and our intelligence works very well, believe me. We know in detail why they need this water. We won’t give the occupier water to drink,” Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Oleksiy Reznikov said on the air of Ukraine 24 TV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

As a reminder, Deputy Prime Minister Reznikov has repeatedly stated that the Russian Federation will not receive water for the temporarily occupied Crimea from mainland Ukraine, even by force.

Until 2014, Ukraine provided 85% of Crimea's fresh water needs through the North Crimean Canal which connects the Dnieper River with the peninsula. After Russia had occupied Crimea, water supplies to Crimea were suspended. Currently, water reserves on the peninsula are replenished from reservoirs and underground sources. According to Crimean environmentalists, regular use of underground sources leads to salinization of soil.

The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has repeatedly stated that Russia bears the full responsibility for ensuring the water supply on the peninsula in accordance with international law.

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