Russian President Vladimir Putin has made false claims about Ukraine’s alleged “plundering” of its people in the Donbas region. He insists that the Kyiv government has been siphoning resources from Donbas and the self-proclaimed “Novorossiya”, accusing them of stealing money and resources. According to Putin, Ukraine’s actions represent a fight over stolen capital. He further stressed that Russia should support the residents of the newly annexed regions, which have supposedly chosen to join the Russian Federation. However, Russia itself is continuing to exploit the occupied territories by taking vital resources from the Donbas region.
The Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security has reported that Russia is actively dismantling the industrial heart of Donbas. After the destruction of Mariupol’s Azovstal factory, Russia has been looting other local industries. For instance, in 2024, over 130,000 tons of products worth around £12.5 million (USD $16 million) were taken from Ilyich Steel Works, with a production line valued at £175 million (USD $220 million) sent to Russia. Additionally, a Russian trader was involved in purchasing steel worth £295,000 (USD $380,000) in September 2022. Other valuable items, including containers and coal, were also taken from the plant.
Furthermore, Russia’s exploitation of the Donbas mines has continued, with an estimated 2.8 million tons of coal, valued at £230 million (USD $288 million), being exported annually until 2022. Putin’s rhetoric about supporting the residents of the newly annexed territories is being contradicted by the harsh realities on the ground. The so-called “leader” of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Denis Pushylin, has indicated that water supply will be limited to once every three days, acknowledging the dire state of infrastructure.
The Centre for Strategic Communications has pointed out that the economic and social crises now afflicting the region were non-existent before 2014. The crisis began only after Russia’s occupation and the arrival of figures like Pushylin, who have contributed nothing to the region except destruction and devastation.
As part of Russia’s broader plans to deindustrialise the region, it is also closing nine mines under the pretext of them being “unprofitable”, further deepening the economic collapse in Donbas.
