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Meeting of Russian Prime Ministers with Deputy Prime Ministers. The agenda includes the results of a government commission’s work to determine the cause of the incident and eliminate the consequences of the damage caused to the Crimean bridge, managing traffic across the Kerch Strait, supporting tourists and tourism organisations in Crimea, resettlement from dilapidated housing, and planned priority measures to ensure the operation of the economy during partial mobilisation.

Mikhail Mishustin’s opening remarks

Marat Khusnullin’s remarks

Minister of Transport Vitaly Savelyev’s remarks

Dmitry Chernyshenko’s remarks

Excerpts from the transcript:

Mikhail Mishustin: Colleagues, last Saturday, a terrorist attack occurred in Crimea aimed at destroying the Russia’s critical civilian infrastructure. This resulted in the temporary suspension of transport links between the peninsula and the Krasnodar Territory. At the President’s instruction, a government commission was created, headed by Marat Khusnullin, to organise relief efforts as soon as possible. Within a few hours of the incident, it was possible to completely extinguish the fire thanks to the coordinated efforts of all services and the heads of regions’ prompt action. I would like to specifically thank the governors of the Krasnodar Territory, the Republic of Crimea, and Sevastopol.

Specialists arriving at the site carried out an initial assessment of the technical condition of the railway section of the bridge and the undamaged part of the roadway. Emergency repairs were performed. Already during the first day, train services resumed, as well as vehicle traffic in temporary reverse mode. At the same time, ferry service across the Kerch Strait was also launched. It will take over part of the passenger and freight traffic load.

Mr Khusnullin, you visited the site and know the situation on the ground. Please tell us how the work is being organised, what is being done to restore the bridge, and about any latest updates.

Marat Khusnullin: Mr Mishustin, colleagues, on Sunday, 8 October, as soon as you established a governmental commission for the situation on the Crimean Bridge, under the President’s instructions, I held a field meeting with the commission members at the site of the incident, where we personally inspected the nature of the damage and adopted the necessary decisions.

Let me briefly describe today’s transport situation. Within 24 hours we have repaired the barriers, restored the lighting and painted temporary road markings. This made it possible, as you said, to reopen one-way vehicle traffic on the same day and two-way traffic on one side the next day after the terrorist attack. To cut inspection and waiting times on the approaches to the bridge, the Interior Ministry, FSB, and the Ministry of Transport were instructed to hire additional personnel.

We are inspecting the railway tracks, and preliminarily, we see that we will need to replace two spans, but the Crimean Railway restored both freight and passenger service along one track on the first day. The repair operations are not influencing cargo or passenger service. Lorries and buses are also being transported by ferry. We are stepping up this alternative.

Regarding the damage, we continue to analyse how serious it is. Divers have been checking the bridge supports since yesterday morning. Following diagnostic inspections, it has been found necessary to remove damage from the expansion joint on one of the supports. We estimate that the damage will be removed by the end of this week. But this does not affect the safety of traffic on the side that has been opened. Two full shifts are working around the clock. Twice a day, at 8 am and 8 pm, the supervisors submit progress reports. They have already removed the asphalt from the cantilever sections of the motorway spans. We have employed about 150 people to work on this. A plan and schedule to dismantle the damaged sections is being drafted. We expect it to be operational within three days. By that time, additional construction equipment, such as floating cranes and other equipment, will arrive. We have contacted the building material suppliers. I want to thank everyone for expediting this work. We expect the steel components to begin arriving from Tyumen, Kurgan, and Voronezh by the end of this week. 

The Ministry of Transport and the road police have been instructed to escort the shipment of these large components so they arrive promptly and without delay. The governmental commission has also discussed the necessary organisational measures with the heads of the Republic of Crimea and the Krasnodar Territory. We have made arrangements to inform the local residents about the developments and to organise, jointly with the Interior Ministry and the Emergencies Ministry, temporary parking lots, food points, and intercept parking with the necessary amenities.

The commission has instructed the Ministry of Transport to work out the entire logistics of freight deliveries to the peninsula. We have an alternative route running through the liberated territories. This year, we began repairs and restoration work on about 500 kilometres of roads in the new territories. We are planning to be finished in November or December, including 180 of the 359 kilometres of this alternative route. Work is under way on this road, with individual stretches opening every day. But we can still use these roads safely now. The Ministry of Transport will report on logistics details.

Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Khusnullin, for your promptness and for the overall management of these efforts. Of course, the Crimean Bridge is crucial in connecting the peninsula with other regions of the country. It is necessary to restore its full working capacity in the shortest possible time. Please keep these issues under your personal control.

Mr Savelyev, please report on the work done within your area of responsibility. How is passenger transportation being organised, including alternative routes, and delivery of goods to the peninsula? And in general, what is the situation with logistics?

Vitaly Saveliev: Mr. Mishustin, colleagues,

Together with the Deputy Prime Minister Mr Khusnullin, we are working on repairing the damage to the Crimean bridge in terms of logistics for passengers and freight during the period when the full resumption of traffic is being carried out.

As for road traffic, on 8 October, from 4 pm reversible passenger car traffic was launched with an interval of 40 minutes on and off in a single lane. Fixed lighting was fully restored as of 9 pm. On 9 October, two-way traffic was provided as of 4pm. As of 8 am this morning, 6,851 vehicles have passed through. To increase the capacity of the Crimean Bridge, we expect to receive a mobile inspection unit from the Federal Customs Service on 10 October. No cargo or passenger buses will be allowed on the Crimean bridge for the time being. A decision has been taken to send them to the Kerch ferry crossing, where sea ferries have resumed operation. I would like to point out in particular that cargo vehicles carrying perishable goods will be sent on the ferries as a matter of priority.       

In terms of ferry service. Three passenger vessels with capacity of 100, 200, and 250 passengers started operation on 8 October. By 7 am on 10 October, 2,882 people were transported by passenger ferries and other vessels that that were activated for this. Two car ferries with total capacity of up to 50 cars started operating on 9 October. By the morning of today, 407 trucks and 1,756 passengers were carried in both directions. On 10 and 15 October two more automobile ferries are scheduled to arrive. The arrival of three railway ferries is expected approximately on October 12 and 15. Two ferries arriving on October 15 have limitations: the depths in the port of Kerch are insufficient. A Rosmorport dredging vessel from Gelendzhik has been engaged to carry out dredging works. Estimated time for the works to be completed is October 14.

Railway ferry operation is not critical for the situation today, as one line of the railway covers all transport needs. We will keep them as part of our reserves.

On the evening of 8 October, railway traffic was resumed along one railway line of the Crimean bridge. Today the movement of freight and passenger long-distance trains is carried out according to the standard schedule in both directions. This guarantees that the residents of Crimea will be provided in full with goods transported by rail.

Suburban passenger traffic along the section of the Crimean bridge has also been fully restored. The trains travelling through the damaged section do so at a speed of 40 km per hour. It is expected that the Russian Railways company will conclude their survey and assessment of condition of the faulty track by 13 October. I would like to express my gratitude to the Russian Railways and personally to General Director Oleg Belozyorov, as well as to the staff of the Crimean Railways for the prompt work done.

Now on the various forms of traffic. Passengers who were travelling to Crimea, but who were redirected to Anapa, have been delivered and accommodated in hotels. Eight buses were used and more than 2,000 people were transported to their place of accommodation and back to the trains. In addition, buses have been prepared for ferry transportation to and from the Krasnodar Territory and the Republic of Crimea.

The prompt communication to the public about the situation regarding the liquidation of damage to the Crimean Bridge and the restoration has been organised.

Work is underway to bring regulations in line with the provisions of the Presidential Executive Order dated 8 October 2022.

Alternative routes are being developed, as Mr Khusnullin has just said.

Mr Mishustin, the logistics decisions that we have already made helped us fulfil the priority tasks for the stable supply of goods to the population of Crimea. We are working closely with respective subjects of the Russian Federation. The Unified Transport Directorate of the Ministry of Transport of Russia, in cooperation with the Crimean government, and the administration of the Krasnodar Territory, are engaged in providing temporary parking, meals, and accommodation for passengers, and the delivery of passengers by alternative routes to their destinations. This work will continue.

Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Savelyev.

It is very important to reopen traffic to and from Crimea in full volume and to analyse all the details to the greatest possible extent in order to prevent any further incidents. Please continue to coordinate this effort.

Although traffic has been partially restored on the Kerch Strait Bridge, many Russian citizens visiting Crimea or planning to visit the peninsula have been forced to change their plans.

Mr Dmitry Chernyshenko, please report on efforts to keep the public apprised of the situation and what support measures have been implemented.

Dmitry Chernyshenko: Mr Mishustin, as per your instructions, we got to work quickly, and we issued the relevant instructions to the Federal Agency for Tourism, the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, the Ministry of Transport and to the regional authorities on how to support our tourists.

What has been done? First, about 50,000 tourists from various regions were staying in Crimea at the time of the terrorist attack. It was suggested that those guests planning to complete their vacation in Crimea stay at hotels and health centres free of charge. About 1,000 people agreed and extended their stay by 24 hours.

Due to the long delays, passengers from two trains were accommodated at hotels in Feodosia and Simferopol and were provided with hot meals. They have now departed safely on trains to their respective destinations.

As instructed by the Head of the Republic of Crimea, hotels will be reimbursed from the republic’s budget for accommodating tourists.

Second, the Federal Agency for Tourism has been instructed to monitor the situation in the tourism industry and to submit damage assessments to the Government. The Ministry of Finance and we have already decided to allocate 1.6 billion roubles by redistributing funds under the national project on tourism. The money will be used to support the Crimea and Sevastopol tourism industries. The Federal Agency for Tourism will draft and submit the relevant regulatory documents on Wednesday.

I would like to note that, so far, we are not seeing any major decline in the number of tourists planning to visit Crimea. An insignificant number of ticket reservations for later dates have been cancelled so far.

Third, on the morning of 8 October, the Federal Agency for Tourism, with support from the communications ministry, was instructed to open a federal hotline service. Along with the republican call centre, tourists can receive updates. Most calls were received on 8 October. About 1,300 people from various Russian regions called this federal number: 8 (800) 707 9741. 

The situation with transport availability is constantly updated. I would like to note that the hotline will continue to operate.

Mikhail Mishustin: Thank you, Mr Chernyshenko. I would also like to ask you to monitor the operation of Rosturism’s hotline so that it works properly and help the region’s tourism industry to work stably.

Now, colleagues, a few words about important measures aimed at supporting businesses in the context of partial mobilisation announced by the president. They will help ensure the stable operation of the Russian economy. The corresponding priority action plan was approved by the government.

A draft federal law will be prepared, according to which people will be able to remain owners of their businesses and engage in entrepreneurial activities, both personally and through third parties.

When individual entrepreneurs and heads of businesses, the sole founders of their companies, are called up for military service, they will have several days to issue a power of attorney to the new head. And if they have already been called up, the deadlines for paying taxes, insurance premiums, and other obligatory payments, as well as submitting declarations or other reports, will be extended for such organisations.

They will also be able to arrange a repayment holiday, rent deferral, and if it is impossible to further fulfil their obligations due to the mobilisation of the company owner, such businesses will have the right to change the terms of contracts and write off the incurred penalties. This rule will affect government contracts concluded before the end of next year.

Grant support conditions may also be readjusted. It will be possible to extend the implementation of such projects, reduce requirements for them, and eliminate penalties.

Colleagues, all planned decisions and legislative initiatives must be prepared as soon as possible.

One more issue. The government continues to work on resettling people from emergency housing, which was identified as unfit for living before 1 January 2017.

We are building new, comfortable and safe residences to replace these buildings. However, due to the imposed external sanctions, the cost of building materials and equipment has recently increased significantly. In order to compensate the regions for the increase in spending, the government will allocate an additional 24 billion roubles for such purposes on behalf of the head of state. Until the end of the year, 43 Russian constituent entities that need federal funding most urgently will receive funds.

The situation in this area was discussed in detail at the June meeting of the Presidential State Council Presidium. As a result, a number of decisions were made. And in August we launched another programme to reduce the emergency housing, which has been recognised as such over the past five years, or, to be more precise, before 1 January 2022.

In these conditions, it is necessary to monitor the effective use of each rouble. I would like to ask Mr Khusnullin to have a constant personal control of how the work is progressing.