Putin supported the creation of a special economic zone in Shebekino – Kommersant

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that it is necessary to preserve jobs and ensure the economic recovery of the city of Shebekino in the Belgorod region in the near future. The city, which was home to 40 thousand people, was badly damaged by Ukrainian shelling and the population was evacuated.

“I think that the conditions of the special economic zone in Shebekin, the creation of such a zone should be supported. And I will ask the government to make this proposal as soon as possible,” Mr. Putin said during the “Results of the Year”.

The director of the Shebekinsky plant, Oksana Kositsyna, approached the president with a similar proposal. According to her, due to the ongoing shelling of the border areas of the Belgorod region, enterprises cannot operate at full capacity.

Oksana Kositsyna noted that the Shebekino enterprise, which she heads, employs about 3 thousand people. Vladimir Putin assured that jobs at enterprises in Shebekino will be preserved.

Shebekino is a city in the Belgorod region, located 6 km from the Ukrainian border. The city, like other border areas of the region, has been shelled since the spring of 2022. In May 2023, shelling became more frequent. The authorities decided to evacuate the population. By the summer of this year, about 3 thousand people remained in the city.