Court punished companies that assisted in construction of Crimea bridge. "This is a serious crime"
4:40 PM EDT, October 14, 2023
On Friday, a Dutch court punished four local companies and eight individuals for assisting in the construction of a bridge from Russia to the Crimean Peninsula, annexed by Vladimir Putin's regime in 2014. Proceedings are still ongoing for three more companies - reports "The Kyiv Post".
The Crimean Bridge is one of the symbols of the Russian occupation of part of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin's regime attacked and annexed the peninsula in 2014. The infrastructure connects Crimea with Russia, and after the invasion, which Moscow began in 2022, it became crucial for maintaining the occupied territory.
It is evident how important the bridge is, given that since the beginning of Ukraine's counteroffensive, it has been one of the main targets for destruction. The Ukrainians have succeeded several times in damaging the infrastructure, disrupting Russian logistics.
Let us remind you that after 2014, the EU imposed sanctions on Russia for the annexation of Crimea. They were meant to, among other things, hinder the construction of connections between the peninsula and the Russian Federation. But as it turned out on Friday (October 13), the restrictions were broken by the Dutch.
Dutch companies helped Putin. There is a penalty
"The Kyiv Post" reported that an Amsterdam court found three Dutch companies and eight people guilty of violating European Union sanctions against Russia. The court statement said that a "serious crime" had been committed.
The violation of sanctions involved, for example, the delivery of machines and their parts, as well as providing services for the construction of a 12-mile bridge, which was personally opened by Vladimir Putin himself. The President of Russia "cut the ribbon", driving a Russian truck from one entrance to the other.
"Eight people were sentenced to community service, and companies were fined a total of $190,785. In addition, the Dutch prosecutor's office confiscated financial benefits obtained by one of the companies in the amount of $85,019" - reports the Ukrainian newspaper.
