Putin visited Donbas for the first time since the start of the military operation

Vladimir Putin visited the Donbass for the first time since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine: he arrived there after Crimea, where he visited on the nine-year anniversary of the annexation of the peninsula to Russia. The Kremlin announced this trip of the president early in the morning on March 19. It was not announced, as was the trip to Sevastopol.

In a short publication by the Kremlin reportedthat Putin was on a working trip to Mariupol, a coastal city of the DPR. He arrived there by helicopter, then drove around the city in a car. He examined at least six objects, including the coastline in the area of ​​the yacht club, the theater building, as well as memorable places

Putin went to Donbass on Sunday night. Upon arrival, he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, and no representatives of local authorities are visible in the footage published in the media.

Among the objects visited by the president was the Mariupol airport, located 5 km from the city, as well as a new residential complex (LC) “Nevsky”. It has been under construction since last summer by the Military Construction Company of the Ministry of Defense.

In September 2022, the settlement of the residential complex began. At one of the entrances, Putin approached a group of residents of the microdistrict. To the phrase of one of the residents that here, in the new residential complex, “a little piece of paradise”, the president replied: “We will expand.”

Mariupol residents invited the president to inspect the apartments given to them instead of the destroyed housing, he agreed. As the press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov later stated, communication with residents and visits to apartments were “spontaneous”. He said that the President intends to give instructions on problematic issues, which he discussed with the townspeople. In particular, we are talking about delays in the payment of salaries and problems with obtaining passports.

“Nevsky” is the largest residential complex, which is being built in the seaside city. Located in the Oktyabrsky district in the west of Mariupol. In the same area, about 5 km along the road, is the Mariupol Philharmonic, about a kilometer from it is the Drama Theater, or rather the ruins left after the explosion of the building (both objects were also visited by Putin).

The theater, according to the Ministry of Defense, in mid-March 2022, when the city was not yet under the control of the Russian army, was mined and blown up by militants of the Azov nationalist battalion, banned in Russia. At the end of the summer, restoration work began there, which is being carried out with the assistance of the region-chief – St. Petersburg.

The theater troupe is now based in the Philharmonic. According to Khusnullin, this building “was restored in just three months.” At the Philharmonic, Putin toured the hall, the concert hall and one of the rehearsal rooms.

Opposite the Philharmonic is the building of the Polytechnic University. The President did not visit it, but the Deputy Prime Minister reported that two university dormitories were used as temporary accommodation centers for residents who lost their homes: now the buildings and dormitories are being renovated. At the end of January, Khusnullin said that eight academic buildings, the sports palace and the student canteen building needed to be put in order at the university. In total, repair and restoration work will cover an area of ​​63,000 square meters. m.

According to the Kremlin, the president also inspected the coastline near the yacht club (located in the Primorsky district, about 2.5 km from the theater).

During the trip, Khusnullin also told Putin about the plan for the reconstruction of the embankment, its design project has already been completed, about assistance in the restoration of religious buildings – temples and mosques, the development of park areas, and the adjustment of street lighting. The historical appearance of the city center is planned to be preserved during the reconstruction, this year they intend to complete at least the repair of the facades.

The Deputy Prime Minister also spoke about plans to help local entrepreneurs. If their shops and offices are located on the first floors of destroyed apartment buildings, they will be given interest-free loans subject to the resumption of activities and the creation of jobs.

Of the major restoration facilities, the airport was discussed, its work there is planned to begin this year and be completed in 2025. The airport was closed for civilian traffic with the outbreak of the conflict in Donbass, now it is used for military purposes.

Started at the end of last year, the first stage of the complex of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) is now one third completed and will be commissioned by the end of the year. In total, 300 beds are planned, in the first stage – 60 beds. There will also be an ambulance here.

Khusnullin told Putin about residential construction during an inspection of the Nevsky. In total, Mariupol plans to commission 500,000 sq. m. m of housing. To date, 35 multi-apartment buildings with 2,500 apartments have already been commissioned, and there are plans to put into operation another 30 high-rise buildings with almost 2,700 apartments by the end of the year. In parallel with the new construction, the demolition of non-repairable apartment buildings continues, with 307 such houses already demolished.

According to political scientist Alexei Makarkin, this visit took place right now for two reasons. First, it was convenient from the point of view of logistics: on Saturday, Putin visited Crimea, where they celebrated the ninth anniversary of the annexation of the peninsula to Russia. Secondly, the trip took place on the eve of a state visit to Moscow by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to arrive in the capital on March 20, including to discuss the conflict in Ukraine.

The President’s visit shows that the Russian side is in full control of the situation, political analyst Alexander Nemtsev said. According to him, the emphasis during the trip was on the restoration of peaceful life, which speaks of Russia’s confidence in its own forces.

“The real reason for the trip is to deepen the processes of integrating new regions into the legal, political, economic and social space of Russia,” political analyst Konstantin Kostin told Vedomosti. – Not without reason, Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulin, who is responsible for these issues in the government, was on the trip with the president. The President showed that the new territories will be with Russia forever, and peaceful life will be restored.”

In addition, according to Kostin, the trip was of an “inspection” nature. Vladimir Putin wanted to see everything for himself, to get first-hand information: “Besides, of course, contacts with people are needed, the President has always attached great importance to them.”

Mariupol is the largest city on the coast of the Sea of ​​Azov, one of the centers of metallurgy and a major seaport. The Ministry of Defense announced full operational control over Mariupol on April 21, 2022, at that time part of the Ukrainian armed formations remained blocked at the Azovstal steel plant.