The occupied by Russian troops and badly damaged port city of Mariupol in southeastern Ukraine is to be more closely connected to the Russian heartland with a ferry. “The route will be used for the delivery of various goods necessary for the reconstruction of the infrastructure of Mariupol and other places in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics,” the Russian Defense Ministry announced in its Telegram channel.
Shortly after the war began in February, Mariupol was surrounded by troops loyal to Moscow, but was not fully taken until the end of May after months of heavy fighting. During that time, the city, which was home to more than 400,000 people before the war, was almost completely destroyed. The pro-Russian separatists, who now control Mariupol, have promised to rebuild the city. The ferry with a payload of 700 tons will deliver the necessary goods.