02:52DPR: 'We saw an open country here in recent past' - Pushilin hands keys over to new apartments owners in Mariupol
Mariupol residents who lost their housing during the city battles received keys for new apartments on Friday. The ceremony was attended by Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) head Denis Pushilin, project manager of the Military Construction Company Oleg Pechenkin, and local authorities.
In his address, Pushilin noted how quickly the new residential buildings were constructed.
"Just recently we were choosing a place, stopped on the road. There were some ruined houses behind us, on the site of which a new residential area is bound to appear. At that place, we saw an open country. And now there is a new, beautiful, modern residential area in this empty field," the DPR's head said.
New apartment buildings are equipped with water, electricity and heating as well as playgrounds, outdoor fitness equipment, parking lots and recreation areas near them.
Families with children were the first to get new apartments.
Ivan Pochanov, a resident of a new house, said that their home was 'burned down while we were sitting in the cellar '.
According to Pushilin, 30 per cent of apartments will go to medical workers, education, and law-enforcement agencies, while the rest 'will be distributed among residents who have lost their housing, which is completely destroyed'.
According to Oleg Pechenkin, the Military Construction Company plans to put three more houses with 260 apartments into operation in October and to finish the construction of the neighborhood of 12 houses by the end of the year.
Earlier, the Russian Defenсe Ministry said that two apartment buildings and a multi-functional medical centre in Mariupol were constructed in record time by Russian MoD's Military Construction Company specialists.
Since the start of construction in late June, the water conduit from Khanzhenkovskoye reservoir to the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and a water conduit in Volnovakha have also been constructed.
On April 21, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Russian Armed Forces and the DPR People's Militia had taken full control of Mariupol.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky admitted on May 8 that "Ukraine does not have such heavy weapons to unblock Mariupol through military means."
He added that country's government is dealing with settling the matter in diplomatic way.
Moscow launched a military offensive on Ukraine in late February after recognising the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics' independence (DPR and LPR).
Kiev has denounced the Russian offensive into its territory, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation.
During recent peace talks, Russia has required that Ukraine declare itself officially a neutral country, providing guarantees that it will never join NATO.
02:52Mariupol residents who lost their housing during the city battles received keys for new apartments on Friday. The ceremony was attended by Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) head Denis Pushilin, project manager of the Military Construction Company Oleg Pechenkin, and local authorities.
In his address, Pushilin noted how quickly the new residential buildings were constructed.
"Just recently we were choosing a place, stopped on the road. There were some ruined houses behind us, on the site of which a new residential area is bound to appear. At that place, we saw an open country. And now there is a new, beautiful, modern residential area in this empty field," the DPR's head said.
New apartment buildings are equipped with water, electricity and heating as well as playgrounds, outdoor fitness equipment, parking lots and recreation areas near them.
Families with children were the first to get new apartments.
Ivan Pochanov, a resident of a new house, said that their home was 'burned down while we were sitting in the cellar '.
According to Pushilin, 30 per cent of apartments will go to medical workers, education, and law-enforcement agencies, while the rest 'will be distributed among residents who have lost their housing, which is completely destroyed'.
According to Oleg Pechenkin, the Military Construction Company plans to put three more houses with 260 apartments into operation in October and to finish the construction of the neighborhood of 12 houses by the end of the year.
Earlier, the Russian Defenсe Ministry said that two apartment buildings and a multi-functional medical centre in Mariupol were constructed in record time by Russian MoD's Military Construction Company specialists.
Since the start of construction in late June, the water conduit from Khanzhenkovskoye reservoir to the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal and a water conduit in Volnovakha have also been constructed.
On April 21, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that the Russian Armed Forces and the DPR People's Militia had taken full control of Mariupol.
Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky admitted on May 8 that "Ukraine does not have such heavy weapons to unblock Mariupol through military means."
He added that country's government is dealing with settling the matter in diplomatic way.
Moscow launched a military offensive on Ukraine in late February after recognising the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics' independence (DPR and LPR).
Kiev has denounced the Russian offensive into its territory, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation.
During recent peace talks, Russia has required that Ukraine declare itself officially a neutral country, providing guarantees that it will never join NATO.