As the war in Ukraine’s east raged in June 2014, a senior adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin was briefed on ways to counter a Ukrainian government economic blockade of the newly created “separatist republics” in the Donbas.

Vladislav Surkov, Putin’s point man on separatist areas in the countries of the former Soviet Union, was told Russia could arrange alternative supplies of iron ore to metallurgical enterprises in non-government-controlled Donbas from Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, according to an e-mail sent to him on June 18, 2014.