The president of Russia, Vladimir Putinpaid a visit to the Ukrainian city of Mariupolin his first trip to Donbas, as reported by the Kremlin on Sunday. According to the press office of the Russian Presidency, the president arrived by helicopter in that city in the south of the Donetsk region, on the shores of the Azov Sea, which last year was scene of fierce fighting.
During the visit, Putin toured various neighborhoods of the city in a car, which he drove himself, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnulinwhich informed him of the progress of construction and reconstruction work in and around Mariupol.
“In particular, it was about the construction of new housing units, social and educational centers, infrastructures and medical institutions,” added the Kremlin press office, which did not specify the duration of the visit. Shortly after, the Russian Presidency reported that Putin met in Rostov-on-Don, in southern Russia, with the commander of the military campaign in Ukraine.
“The head of state listened to the reports of the chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, Valeri Guerasimov, and other military chiefs,” the press release added.
This Saturday, Putin made a surprise trip to the Crimean peninsula on the ninth anniversary of its annexation by Russia. The president visited the Korsun Art School and children’s center in Chersonesus, on the outskirts of the port of Sevastopol, the main base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.