Russia is intensively deploying large-scale infrastructure projects in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, significantly outpacing the development rates observed in Crimea after 2014.
This is reported by Finway
Construction of strategic railway and road routes
Two key transport arteries have become important elements of the new logistics network. The first is a railway line 525 km long, which is set to cover the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions. The second is a 630 km long highway that will be part of the so-called “Azov Ring” and will connect these regions with Crimea.
Satellite images taken from July 2023 to November 2025 show the gradual construction of a new railway section—a 60-kilometer stretch between the settlements of Novoselivka and Koloske in the Donetsk region, located north of Mariupol.
Road expansion and port infrastructure
On a 100-kilometer stretch of the road between the Russian city of Taganrog and Mangush in the Donetsk region, major works have already been completed. A new bypass road around Mariupol is also being constructed, indicating a desire to create alternative transport routes for the movement of goods and military equipment.
The new transport routes allow bypassing the Crimean Bridge, which was previously the only road and rail link from Russia to Crimea, used for transporting troops, fuel, and equipment. Concurrently, Russia is conducting dredging operations in the ports of Mariupol and Berdiansk, opening access for large vessels and expanding the logistical capabilities of these cities.
“They acted extremely quickly, invested significant funds, and scaled up compared to what they did in Crimea. Crimea was a training ground for them,” she believes.
Experts estimate that the nature of the investments and the long-term planning of infrastructure projects indicate a lack of intention on the part of the Kremlin to return the occupied territories to Ukraine as part of future peace agreements.