Russia Plans to Launch Maritime Service Between Occupied Mariupol and Rostov in 2026

According to the Russian invaders’ concept, this initiative will supposedly help to “increase the number of domestic regular and tourist routes.”

The Mariupol City Council has reported that the Russian occupiers plan to establish a maritime link between Mariupol and Rostov, the CFTS portal reports.

The Russian occupiers intend to launch a maritime service between occupied Mariupol and the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Yeysk in 2026.

They claim that this initiative will “increase the number of domestic regular and tourist routes.”

Previously, the occupiers had proposed creating a “single maritime route” covering the coastal territories of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR), as well as the Kherson and Zaporizhia regions.

The project was supposed to link Novoazovsk, Mariupol, Berdiansk, Prymorsk, and Henichesk.

The occupiers first proposed the idea of linking occupied Ukrainian territories with the Russian Federation by sea back in 2023. However, all such initiatives have remained on paper.

“Disguised as ‘tourism development,’ the real goal of the Russian authorities is hidden: to consolidate Russian control over the Sea of Azov,” the Mariupol City Council said.