Plymouth to break twin links with Russian city

Pressure from residents

Plymouth City Council says it has decided to break off links with its Russian twin city, Novorossiysk.

It had earlier said it had no plans to cut relations with the port city in southern Russia on the Black Sea.

But due to the ongoing attacks by Russia on Ukraine Plymouth says it plans to suspend all connections with the city. 

A friendship agreement between Plymouth and Novorossiysk has been in place since 1956 and a formal twinning arrangement was signed in 1990.

But council leader Nick Kelly (Conservative, Compton) said: “I‘ve had many messages from Plymouth residents who want to us to do whatever we can as a city to send the message that we are outraged by the actions of the Russian government.

“The impact of the Russian military’s violence against the people of Ukraine is horrifying and I don’t believe in all conscience that we can continue to maintain our formal links with Novorossiysk while this is happening.

“I have asked officers to look at suspending our twinning link with Novorossiysk as soon as possible.

“It is a great regret that after more than half a century of building relations between our two great maritime cities we have to consider this. 

“We do not blame the people of Novorossiysk for the barbaric actions of their government, but I don’t believe we can continue a formal association with a Russian civic authority while these atrocities are taking place.”

The decision to sever links with Novorossiysk follows a similar move by Exeter City Council last week, which decided to suspend its links its twin city Yaroslavl, 160 miles north-east of Moscow.

After former Russian military officer and double agent for the British intelligence agencies Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were poisoned with novichok in Salisbury, Plymouth City Council revoked invitations to Russian officials but continued its links with Novorossiysk.

On Sunday, one of the signs for Novorossiysk Road near to Forder Valley was crossed out and replaced with another sign which read 'Volodymyr Zelensky Road' after the president of Ukraine. 

The council confirmed it had not commissioned the work and it had not been carried out by a council worker.  

If a decision is made to consider renaming the road, the council would need to go through a process of consultation and, at present, there are no plans to do so.

Plymouth City Council continues to fly the Ukrainian flag in the city centre to show its support for the people of Ukraine.