On June 13 (Moscow time), Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the Donbass and Novorossiya regions will be brought to the level of Russia's general development level by 2030, including indicators of quality of life, infrastructure and economy.
Speaking at a meeting on Donbass and Novorossiya development, Mr. Putin said that this goal applies to the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR), and the Kherson and Zaporozhye provinces currently controlled by Russia.
According to the planned targets, these regions must meet Russia's common standards for all basic indicators, including quality of life, by 2030," Putin said.
According to the Russian leader, in April 2023, the country's government approved a comprehensive socio-economic development program for Donbass and Novorossiya. The program aims to accelerate the integration of these territories into Russia's unified legal, economic, educational, cultural and information system.
Mr. Putin said the program includes about 300 different development items and measures. The projects focus on upgrading social infrastructure, building houses, modernizing transportation and public service systems.
In addition, Russia also aims to implement new industrial and agricultural projects to create more jobs for local people. According to the Kremlin, the expansion of production and investment will play an important role in the economic recovery process in these areas.
In recent years, Russia has implemented many reconstruction projects in Donbass and controlled territories after the conflict with Ukraine broke out. Moscow said the top priority is to restore essential infrastructure, including electricity, water, schools, hospitals and transportation systems.
Russian officials believe that improving living conditions will help promote economic growth and social stability in these regions in the long term. However, the Donbass, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions are still the focus of controversy between Russia and Ukraine, and are also one of the most sensitive issues in the conflict that has lasted for more than three years.
