MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Russia will build a railroad bypass to Crimea on its territory even if relations with Ukraine improve, Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov told the State Duma, Russian parliament’s lower chamber, on Wednesday.

“We need to form a stem railroad network on the Russian territory regardless of the future of relations between Russia and Ukraine, so that a multiple border crossing - a train crosses the border four times - should not cause a reduction in the speed of our passengers’ delivery, in particular, in summer,” Sokolov said.

The bypass must be built in 2018-2019, he said.