In Donbass, Russification by the ruble

It was not the war that felled the trees on the side of the road at the entrance to Donbass, but the construction equipment. To widen the road, Russia is strengthening ties with this Ukrainian region that it annexed a year ago. Some 37 kilometers of four lanes are to replace the old road in 2025.

All cities in Russia were called upon to sponsor a city in these new regions. Evgeny Kouzmine comes from northern Siberia, 4000 kilometers from Donbass. His region has just built new residential buildings to replace the old ones destroyed by the bombings. “There is everythinghe explains, showing a home. The furniture, the kitchen is equipped, the fridge, the table, the chairs, everything for the residents.” The city stadium is brand new and the church frescoes have also been restored.

Russia is working to rebuild and is making it known. To revive businesses, 1.1 billion rubles (or 11 million euros) were released. “Industrial enterprises of the Donetsk region had never seen such state support during the times of Ukraine”, says Sergei Vlasov, head of the Industry Development Fund of the Republic of Donetsk. Nearly two years after the start of the war, Moscow wants to convince the inhabitants of this region that their lives will be better by being attached to Russia.