President Putin drove a car by himself during his working trip to the city of Mariupol in the Donetsk region, marking his first visit to the Donbass region.
The Kremlin press service said today that Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in the city of Mariupol by helicopter, then drove himself through many urban districts and stopped in some areas to meet people.
Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin reported to Putin on the progress of construction and reconstruction of the city and surrounding area. “The president also inspected the Mariupol coastline, visited the yacht club, theater and many attractions in the city,” the Kremlin said.
Putin (centre) during a visit to the city of Sevastopol in Crimea on March 18. Image: Kremlin.
The Kremlin boss on the same day met and heard reports from Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and a series of senior leaders at the operation headquarters in the city of Rostov-on-Don, western Russia.
The Donbass, which includes the two provinces of Lugansk and Donetsk, is witnessing intense fighting between Russia and Ukraine. This is considered the battlefield that determines the future of Russia’s military campaign.
Mariupol used to be the second busiest port in Ukraine before Russia launched its military campaign early last year. This is also a strategic goal that Russia decides to control in the second phase of the war, because the city is a land corridor that Russia has established, connecting the Donbass region to the Crimean peninsula.
After more than 80 days of siege, Russian forces took control of the city in May 2022 after a months-long siege that left much of Mariupol’s infrastructure devastated. Mariupol is one of the municipalities located in the area announced by Russia in early October 2022 and is accelerating the reconstruction process.
Location of the city of Mariupol (red dot) and the situation of the war between Russia and Ukraine. Graphics: RYV.
The Russian military has built an entirely new district of dozens of apartment buildings to the west of the city. It was named Nevsky, after the Neva River that flows through its home city of St. Petersburg by President Putin. According to Russian state media, the St. Petersburg was the main sponsor of the reconstruction of Mariupol.
The city’s heating, running water and electricity supply have all been restored. Buses operate again, often full of passengers. However, the tram network remains disrupted. Many schools, hospitals and shops have also resumed operations.
Vu Anh (Theo TASS, Reuters)