The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine condemns the launch of a train from Russia to Crimea along the route St. Petersburg - Simferopol.

"Illegal launch of railway communication between the Russian Federation and annexed Ukrainian Crimea is another violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and international law. Forty-three hours for the trip is Russia's next step for total impact on people in annexed Crimea. Such a train is a purely ideological approach," Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday evening.

He noted that the Ministry of Infrastructure cannot allow the isolation of Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied territories, that is why the Chonhar and Kalanchak checkpoints were built during a couple of months.

"We condemn it and will fight in the international arena against the next infrastructural attacks of the aggressor," the minister added.

As reported, the prosecutor's office of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea on Wednesday registered criminal proceedings into the illegal transfer of persons across the state border of Ukraine by the Grand Express company (Russia), which organized the passenger train transportation St. Petersburg - Simferopol.