Leader of the "DPR" Pushilin announced industrial clusters in occupied Donetsk region while Donetsk suffers from destruction and utility problems

Leader of the "DPR" Pushilin announced industrial clusters in occupied Donetsk region while Donetsk suffers from destruction and utility problems

Leader of the "DPR" Denis Pushilin presented "municipality development" projects in the occupied territory that shocked local residents. Meanwhile, even the "capital of the republic," Donetsk, is already fully reaping the consequences of the promised "paradise life" that was supposed to come with Russia's arrival.

A recent statement by the "republic" leader Pushilin caused a stir in the occupied part of Donetsk region.

Among the development projects in a number of "municipal districts" are plans to create machine-building enterprises producing special equipment; transport and logistics centers and complexes; large closed-cycle industrial clusters; industrial-tourist complexes; investment territories with an agro-industrial focus; a tourist-recreational (!) cluster on 282 ha (facilities with 14 thousand rooms, a shopping-entertainment complex, a water park and a winery); "expansion" of metallurgical plants, and so on.

In Horlivka, Pushilin even threatens to create a "center of innovative attraction and new industries," as well as develop clusters "Fiber Optics and Optoelectronics" and "Advanced Manufacturing Technologies." "Also this is a center of chemistry and heavy engineering for extraction," he said.

It is important to understand that Horlivka is located in the immediate vicinity of the line of combat clashes—with all the consequences that entails.

Horlivka on the map of hostilities. Source: DeepState

You could list the leader of the "DPR"’s promises for a long time—there are many fantasies that angry locals briefly called: "He's delirious!" And some ironically write that "so many benefits won't hold up."

Reaction to the leader's "projects." Source: screenshot

Commentary on the projects announced by Pushilin. Source: screenshot

Among the projects, Pushilin assigned a special role to occupied Donetsk. The city is predicted to "become the core of a coal-chemical cluster: from simple coal extraction to its deep processing."

Local residents have already reacted strongly: "How can coal be mined in Donetsk when there isn't a single functioning mine??? All are closed and flooded."

Local residents are outraged by the occupation authorities' "plans." Source: screenshot

And that's true. The fact is that coal mining as an industry has been eliminated in Donetsk itself. Back in 2024, on the eve of miners' professional holiday, the last operating mine named after A. A. Skochinsky was closed, whose reserves would have allowed many more years of development. And this is against the backdrop of endless promises by both Putin and Pushilin about the importance of coal extraction and mine development. Back then locals took it as a slap in the face. Today they are even more outraged.

Overall, on the territory of the "republic" about 13 mines still somehow operate. However, coal production has fallen sharply, and wage debt is colossal.

"At the mines they waited for pay until Miners' Day, then until the elections... Now it seems we'll have to wait until after an intergalactic chess tournament," shared a local resident.

Salaries are not being paid at the mines in the occupied part of Donetsk region. Source: screenshot

No one believes anymore that development will actually happen.

In addition, Pushilin promised to "restore industry, infrastructure and housing in Donetsk, renovate schools, hospitals and roads." This "project" infuriated residents of the occupied city even more, who have been hearing only promises for many years.

"In fact, hospitals and roads could still be repaired. But large-scale embezzlement is taking place there, and for that Russian companies are being involved (for example, Mostovik), as well as many 'shell companies,'" a source for OBOZ.UA in the occupied territory says.

Meanwhile in Donetsk it's already commonplace that an ambulance cannot reach a certain building. And often it's not a private house but an apartment block.

People are left without emergency medical assistance. Source: screenshot from a local channel

The massive allocation of federal budget funds from the Russian Federation for infrastructure restoration in the "DPR" has spawned a range of characteristic corruption schemes.

The same applies to the construction of new housing—which is mostly built by Russian companies. And local residents whose homes were destroyed or became uninhabitable due to the catastrophic state of utilities (burst pipes, lack of repairs, etc.) are not being resettled there—the apartments are sold.

Meanwhile, buildings in the occupied regional center are rapidly collapsing. "They just feed us promises that everything will surely be fixed any day now. But we've been hearing that for many years. And the 'arrival of Russia' not only did not make life better (as loudly promised) but brought new, terrible trials. Now there is only one thought: how to somehow survive in this chaos," a Donetsk resident told OBOZ.UA.

She says the situation with water and electricity supply is very difficult. Donetsk is squalid, and rats are breeding in force. "As a result, infectious disease wards are constantly overcrowded," the woman added.

Residents of Donetsk also regularly notice wild foxes on the city streets. Predators increasingly enter the city limits due to the consequences of hostilities, destruction of the natural environment and the search for food. "Wolves are starting to 'drop by' as well."

A wolf in the Shyrokyi neighborhood of Donetsk. Source: screenshot

"Buildings are in ruins, and wild animals are already settling in the 'capital.' Do you understand?" the woman says.

Another fox on the streets of occupied Donetsk. Source: screenshot from a local channel

Comments from Donetsk residents. Source: screenshot

Against the backdrop of everything that is happening, the occupation authorities' repeated promises and "projects" provoke only outrage among local residents. A predictable outcome.