Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin visited Mariupol Sunday, the most senior government official yet to set foot in the Ukrainian city after weeks of Russian bombardment.
On his Telegram channel, Khusnullin said “I visited the liberated territories of the DNR [Donetsk People’s Republic] and LNR [Luhansk People’s Republic]. I visited Mariupol, Volnovakha, Luhansk and other cities and chatted with the locals.”
“In the regions, the restoration of peaceful life begins — a lot of work. We will help. In particular, it is necessary to carry out large-scale work to provide humanitarian assistance.”
Video showed Khusnullin meeting with Denis Pushilin, the leader of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic.
In response, Petro Andrushenko, an adviser to the elected Ukrainian mayor of Mariupol, said that Khusnullin had visited Mariupol’s seaport.
