Arriving in the city destroyed by the RF Armed Forces, the head of the Kremlin decided to drive a car and talk to the “locals”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Mariupol destroyed by the Russian army and, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin, toured the Philharmonic and even talked with local residents. A number of pro-Kremlin media outlets first reported on the politician’s visit, and then a short note appeared on the official website of the head of state.
According to the published information, Putin flew to the occupied city by helicopter, and then driving a car drove around several districts of the city, inspected the coastline in the area of the yacht club, the theater building, memorable places, the restored Philharmonic and Priazovsky Technical University.
Propagandists write that in the Nevsky microdistrict, Putin even “talked to local residents and went to visit one of the families.”
In turn, Khusnullin, who accompanied the president of the aggressor country, “reported in detail the progress of construction and restoration work in the city and its environs.”
As you know, during the hostilities, the city on the seashore was destroyed by almost 90%. The Russian army captured it in the spring of 2022 after the last defenders of Azovstal surrendered, defending Mariupol to the last.
Once a beautiful city, the Russian army turned into ruins
Photo: Twitter
In addition, Vladimir Putin held a meeting in the command room in Rostov-on-Don, where he heard reports from the Chief of the General Staff – First Deputy Defense Minister Valery Gerasimov and a number of military leaders.
Putin’s sudden visit has sparked a lot of speculation online, with some bloggers openly talking about the production. As can be seen in the published footage, the visit took place at night, and Putin himself was filmed from the back, then from a distance, and his photos are blurry.
Vladimir Putin at the Philharmonic in Mariupol
Another point that users drew attention to is that Putin passes the tractor at the intersection, although, as a rule, roads are blocked for a long time during his movement. Among other things, he practically does not say anything longer than a couple of words.
This is Putin’s first visit to the occupied Donbas since the beginning of the war. Back in November, when asked when he would visit the “liberated territories,” the Kremlin replied that Putin would do so “when the time comes.”
Meanwhile, in Mariupol, the occupiers undertook to rebuild the drama theater, under the ruins of which hundreds of civilians died when the Russian Armed Forces dropped an air bomb on it. They promise to restore it by 2024, and at the same time they will try to hide the traces of one of the worst crimes of this war, committed on March 16, 2022.
Earlier, Focus wrote that on March 18, Putin visited the Crimea. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant for his arrest. The Kremlin has already reacted to this decision, saying that it “does not matter.”
