Ukraine’s richest man has volunteered to help restore Mariupol, which has been devastated by Russian bombardment.

Rinat Akhmetov, a millionaire and former Ukrainian people’s representative, has watched his economic empire fall as a result of the battle in Ukraine, but he still believes in “our heroic men.”

With a net worth of £3.6 billion, the 55-year-old has stated that he intends to return to Mariupol after the conflict to restore the city and the economy for Ukrainian residents.

“Mariupol is a worldwide tragedy and a global example of courage,” he told Reuters. Mariupol has always been and will always be a Ukrainian city to me.

“I trust our gallant warriors will protect the city, notwithstanding how tough and terrible it is for them.”

“And the conflict is surely not the time to be at odds,” he stressed. We will reconstruct the entire country of Ukraine.

“I spoke with folks on the street, I visited with employees… My objective is to return to a Ukrainian Mariupol and put our (new production) plans into action, so that steel produced in Mariupol can compete in global markets as previously.”

Akhmetov did not specify his location, but said he was in Mariupol on February 16 before Putin began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

The announcement follows accusations that Russian forces dropped a “poisonous material” from a drone near Mariupol, according to the city’s Azov Battalion.

The material, which is of “unknown origin,” was used to target civilians and is said to have caused respiratory failure and neurological disorders.

The Azov Regiment in Mariupol alleges possible Russian deployment of chemical weapons against the city’s entrenched Ukrainian garrison.