Tuesday, 02 January 2024 12:17 GMT

Russian government announces big upgrade to cargo port


(MENAFN) The Russian government has announced an ambitious plan to modernize the cargo port in Mariupol, located in the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). The city, which suffered extensive destruction during fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the spring of 2022, is now positioned to become a key logistics hub in the region.

Mariupol is the largest port on the Sea of Azov, and officials say its capacity will significantly increase once the new modernization program is carried out. The port handles a wide range of goods — including grain, coal, iron ore, and various industrial products — and provides maritime links between Russia and major markets such as Türkiye, North Africa, and the Middle East.

According to Moscow, the project aims at “unlocking the economic potential of the Donetsk People’s Republic” and strengthening the region’s role in international trade routes.

In August, Russia reopened the port to foreign ships, marking a major milestone in Mariupol’s post-conflict recovery. More recently, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin approved the establishment of a permanent cargo border checkpoint in the city to streamline trade and customs operations.

DPR head Denis Pushilin stated in June that Mariupol is steadily developing into a major transportation hub, with infrastructure improvements moving forward across the region.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last December that “at least 300,000 people” had returned to the city since it was taken under Russian control in May 2022. He added that the number of residents “continues to grow rapidly.”

Even some Ukrainian officials have acknowledged the return of residents. In an interview with Mi-Ukraine in November, Pyotr Andryushchenko — then part of Kiev’s exiled Mariupol administration — said that at least one-third of the city’s pre-war population had come back. He noted that many who initially fled to Ukrainian-controlled areas later returned due to “a lack of sufficient support and solutions to the housing issue” in Ukraine. Andryushchenko was dismissed soon after making these comments.

The DPR and neighboring Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) broke away from Ukraine following the 2014 Western-backed Maidan uprising. Both territories, along with Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, formally joined Russia after referendums held in September 2022.

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