Published:
Mar 19, 2023 03:06 GMT
It is the first visit of the Russian president to Donbass.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has paid a working visit to the city of Mariupol, in the Donetsk People’s Republic, reports the Kremlin.
Is the first visit from the Russian president to Donbass.
From the agency they detailed that the president arrived in the city by helicopter and drove through several neighborhoods in the car. Furthermore, he toured various city facilities and also spoke with local residents. “Thank you for the victory,” the citizens thanked Putin.
In the Nevsky neighborhood, Putin was invited by one of the families to visit their home.
“The head of state also inspected the coast of Mariupol in the vicinity of a yacht club, a theater building and memorable places in the city,” the statement said. The Russian leader inspected the interior of the Mariupol Philharmonic building and assessed the quality of the reconstruction works carried out.
reconstruction works
During the visit, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin briefed the President in detail on the progress of the reconstruction works in the city and its surroundings, while ensuring that he shows you the city no holds barred, “on a normal day”. “Specifically, it is about the construction of new neighborhoods, social facilities, educational facilities, housing infrastructure and public services and medical institutions,” they specified.
Among other things, Khusnulin told Putin that the citizens of Mariupol began to actively return to the city after the start of the works. “People started to come back when they saw that the recovery process was underway. People are actively returning to their families. We see it clearly and clearly,” she said.
He also noted that the sea port of the city is “in good condition” and operational, while the military has already begun to use the airport, whose reconstruction will be completely completed in 2025 and will be able to handle international flights. Similarly, the highway between Mariupol and Donetskwhich constitutes a complete four-lane route, is now ready for use.
Thus, the Russian deputy prime minister announced that it is expected finish by the end of the year the reconstruction of the city center, where there are many historical buildings, and that the first tram line is planned to be launched already in the summer.
According to Jusnulin, there are plans to creating new jobs and Mariupol entrepreneurs will also be able to obtain loans to open businesses. In addition, he thanked Putin for the decision on preferential mortgages for the new Russian regions, because, according to him, in Mariupol there are people “who want to build and buy homes.”
The official recalled that the Ukrainian Army had fired directly at homes and had planted mines in hospital facilities, to which Putin replied that “normal people don’t do that.”
Meeting with military commanders
Likewise, the Kremlin reported that Putin celebrated a meeting at the command post of the special military operation in the city of Rostov-on-Don and listened to reports from the Russian Chief of Staff, Valery Gerasimov, and other military commanders. The president was received by Sergei Surovikin, deputy commander of the Joint Group of Troops in the area of the special military operation.
Putin said he will spend as much time as necessary listening to the reports from the officers.
The day before the Russian president visited Crimea on the occasion of 9th anniversary of reunification of the region with Russia. There, Putin visited the Chersonese Historical and Archaeological Park, which includes the Korsun Children’s Center and a children’s art school.
- The city of Mariupol was freed in April 2022 during the special military operation, but a part of a grouping of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was entrenched at the Azovstal steel plant. On May 20, the Russian Defense Ministry reported of the surrender of almost 2,500 Ukrainian fighters blocked in the factory and the conclusion of the operation to liberate the city.
