The Kremlin is pushing ahead with attempts to consolidate its political, social and military grip on Ukraine’s south after claiming earlier this week it had established its “land bridge” to Crimea, one of Moscow’s key war aims.The announcement by the Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, was accompanied by the announcement that rail traffic to the border with Russia had been restored and at least one service had included trucks carrying grain taken from the elevators in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol to Crimea. Has Russia accomplished its mission ?

