Coal produced in Russia-occupied Donbas, Eastern Ukraine, is shipped not only to Russia but also to Turkey and countries in Europe, namely the European Union member states, without the latter’s knowing that, as shipping documents are falsified to show that the coal is of allegedly Russian origin.
“This does not mean that these countries intentionally encourage such schemes – the documents are simply falsified. The Ukrainian coal crosses that part of the Ukrainian-Russian border that is not controlled by the Ukrainian authorities, then through various manipulations, the Ukrainian coal in the shipping documents has another origin. It is very difficult to establish, for example, in Italy that coal, which, according to documents, originates and is shipped from Russia is actually Ukrainian,” Ukrainian Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons Vadym Chernysh said.
According to him, South Ossetia and other unrecognized quasi-state entities are widely used to mislead.
“For example, a company is located in South Ossetia, where there is a South Ossetian bank with correspondent accounts in the Russian Federation. Such a scheme is created: a company that is created or physically exists in the occupied territories of Ukraine opens an account in a bank created by a quasi-state entity. Actually, this is just an electronic accounting system that is connected to the electronic system of the intermediary in South Ossetia, and this platform has access to a Russian bank. All this has access to the financial system of the Russian Federation. This way the financial system of the Russian Federation and the occupied territories interact,” Chernysh explained.
Russia in fact is trying to create a coalition of unrecognized “republics” as if they form a circle of “friends” who “are not friends at all, being a tool of Russia’s propaganda machine.” (UNIAN/Ukrainian metal)