The West seeks to make transporting goods to the westernmost Kaliningrad Region from other Russian regions as troublesome as possible in order to isolate the exclave, Russian Presidential Aide, Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolay Patrushev said at a meeting in the Kaliningrad Region, TASS reports.

 

“In order to isolate the Kaliningrad Region and disrupt transportation to/from Russia’s mainland, Western countries are going to great lengths to obstruct freight and passenger transit to Kaliningrad. Currently, land transportation of goods critical for the functioning and economy of the region is restricted in regard to 80% of the commodity list,” he said.

 

Patrushev went on to say that in the current circumstances, the bulk of automobile and railroad cargo traffic to/from the Kaliningrad Region had to be redirected to sea routes.

 

“Work is underway to redirect diesel fuel, cement, crushed stone and other cargoes to the specialized tanker fleet, bulk carriers and dry cargo ships,” he said.