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| Putin makes surprise visit to Donbass – media | Putin makes surprise visit to Donbass – media |
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| The Russian leader reportedly toured the second largest city of the Donetsk People’s Republic | |
| On the heels of his surprise visit to Crimea on Saturday, President Vladimir Putin reportedly made an unannounced working trip to Mariupol, the Black Sea port city which was liberated by Russian forces last spring amid the military operation in Ukraine, and joined Russia as part of the Donetsk People’s Republic following a referendum in September. | |
| Putin arrived in Mariupol by helicopter and drove several districts of the city, accompanied by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, multiple Russian news agencies including TASS and RIA Novosti reported on Sunday morning, citing the president’s press service. | |
| The president inspected the progress of the reconstruction and restoration efforts, including “new residential districts, social and educational facilities, housing and communal services infrastructure, medical institutions.” He also allegedly toured the “coastline in the area of the yacht club, the theater building,” as well as other “memorable places” of the city. | |
| It was unclear when the trip took place, and the Kremlin has yet to share photos and videos of what would be the head of state's first trip to Russia's new region. On Saturday, Putin was in Crimea to mark the ninth anniversary of the peninsula’s reunification with Russia. | |
| The city of Mariupol was liberated by Russian forces last spring amid the military operation in Ukraine. It has become one of the symbols of Russia's military campaign, and victory there has arguably been the main triumph, so far. | |
| MARIUPOL IN PHOTOS: How the battle-scarred city has changed after eight months under Russian control | |
| In September, the Donetsk People’s Republics, which incorporates Mariupol, along with Lugansk People’s Republic and Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, officially became part of the Russian Federation after holding public referendums. |