"Places of military glory" on ruins: Russia plans to develop "military tourism" in the destroyed Donbas

The occupation administration of the Donetsk region announced the launch of a project to develop tourism in the captured territories of Eastern Ukraine. Despite active hostilities and the absence of basic communal services, the Kremlin considers the region a "fertile ground" for attracting visitors. This is stated in a material by The Times, UNN writes.

Details

The so-called vice-premier of the "DPR" Kyrylo Makarov announced that next year, within the framework of the Russian national project, it is planned to invest about one billion rubles in the restoration of hotels and infrastructure. Tourists will be offered routes to "key places of military glory." In particular, in Mariupol, the occupation mayor Oleh Morhun announced his intention to receive up to one million visitors by 2030.

Reality: ruins and water shortage

The initiative faces sharp criticism due to the humanitarian catastrophe in the region. Most cities, such as Bakhmut and Mariupol, have been virtually razed to the ground by Russian shelling. In Donetsk, there is a critical water shortage: due to damaged networks, local residents are forced to collect rainwater or dig improvised wells.

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Ukrainian journalist Halya Koinash noted that these funds would not even be enough to restore what the Russians destroyed. 

This is even if you find "war tourists" who don't mind the lack of running water, fuel shortages, etc. 

– the journalist reports.

Volodymyr Putin himself in May called the conditions in Donbas "attractive" for investors. However, the mechanisms for ensuring the safety of civilians in the zone of the largest conflict in Europe since 1945 remain unclear.

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