Russia is launching a controversial drive to bring tourists to war-torn areas of Ukraine, with authorities in Kremlin-controlled Donetsk promoting 'war tourism' to boost the local economy. Deputy Prime Minister Kirill Makarov of the Donetsk People's Republic said visitors would tour 'key points of military glory', including sites of heavy fighting such as Bakhmut, where tens of thousands of Russian troops are believed to have died before Moscow captured the town in May 2023.
The region also includes Mariupol, a port city flattened by Russian bombing in 2022. Its exiled council, now based in Dnipro, condemned the plan, stating: 'The invaders plan to turn the city's tragedy, its ruins, the mass graves, into attractions and a platform for Russian propaganda. All with one purpose, to earn as much money as possible.'
Despite the devastation, Russia's 'tourism and hospitality' national project is due to launch next year, with Makarov claiming 1bn roubles (£9.7m) would be invested in restoring hotels and other infrastructure. However, residents have pleaded for basic necessities; a group of children posted a video appeal to President Putin begging for water, and one woman said she could only shower properly when travelling to Rostov-on-Don, 100 miles away.
President Putin has described the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, collectively known as the Donbas, as 'fertile ground for tourism development' and encouraged businesses to invest. Mariupol's Moscow-installed mayor, Oleg Morgun, predicted one million tourists by 2030, though he admitted that 'what buildings and structures there were have all been damaged.'
At least 20,000 people died during the Russian bombardment of Mariupol, according to Ukrainian President Zelensky. Russia has given no indication of withdrawing from seized territories and has demanded that Ukraine relinquish remaining Donbas land – an ultimatum flatly rejected by Kyiv.
