SIMFEROPOL, Mar 16Crimea can return to rice production after the restoration of the North Crimean Canal, this is a highly profitable business, said Vladimir Konstantinov, head of the Crimean parliament. «This is a huge opportunity for the region, we can return to rice production again, it was a traditional and highly profitable business,» said Konstantinov in an interview with RIA Novosti. Ukraine provided up to 85% of the needs of Crimea in fresh water through the North Crimean Canal coming from the Dnieper. However, after the reunification of Crimea with Russia, the supply of water through the canal to the republic was completely stopped unilaterally. According to the estimates of the working group, the preliminary amount of damage caused by the water blockade is 1.47 trillion rubles. The canal was unblocked after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stressed that their specialists have already begun work on cleaning the channel and restoring the infrastructure of the canal's hydraulic structures, which will allow the resumption of the supply of Dnieper water to Crimea. Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine on February 24. President Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kiev regime for eight years.» For this, according to him, it is planned to carry out «demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine», to bring to justice all war criminals responsible for «bloody crimes against civilians» in Donbass. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Armed Forces strike only at the military infrastructure and Ukrainian troops. With the support of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the DPR and LPR groups are developing an offensive. But there is no question of the occupation of Ukraine, the Russian president stressed.Read the full text of Vladimir Konstantinov's interview >>
08:34Konstantinov named the main achievements of Crimea in eight years
