The Russian government has just announced a comprehensive plan to upgrade the Mariupol cargo port, one of the most important infrastructure in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).
The city was heavily devastated by the fierce conflict in the spring of 2022, but Moscow insists Mariupol is rapidly reviving and playing a central role in the development strategy of the Donbass region.
Mariupol is the largest port in the Azov Sea, specializing in transporting grains, coal, iron ore and many other goods. After the upgrade, capacity is expected to increase sharply, allowing Russia to expand its trade network to Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East through key shipping routes.
According to the Russian government, the project aims to unleash Donetsk's economic potential, turning Mariupol into a new strategic trade gateway in the East.
Russia opened Mariupol port to foreign ships last August and last week, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed an order to establish a fixed cargo border control station in the city.
The leader of the Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin once affirmed that Mariupol is on the right track to become a major logistics hub of the region. It is not only an infrastructure goal, but also associated with the process of social reconstruction when people are returning to the city at a rapid pace.
In his December speech last year, President Vladimir Putin estimated that about 300,000 people have returned to Mariupol since the city was taken over by the Russian army in May 2022. He emphasized that this number is still increasing very quickly.
It is noteworthy that some Ukrainian officials also acknowledge this trend. Pyotr Andryushchenko - then a member of the Mariupol exiled regime appointed by Kiev - said that at least a third of the residents before the conflict had returned.
He explained that many people leaving for Ukraine-controlled areas faced housing difficulties and lack of support, forcing them to return to their former homes. Andryushchenko was sacked shortly after his speech.
The DPR and the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) announced their separation from Ukraine following the 2014 coup in Ukraine, and by September 2022, the two regions, along with Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, had been annexed by Russia following referends.
