The Russian occupiers have presented their own vision of the future of Mariupol. In a document called “concept of the master plan for the development of Mariupol city” a Russian ministry described a plan that in “essence is the full integration of Mariupol” with the so-called ‘DNR’, with the prospect of joining the Russian Federation,” according to intelligence reported on Telegram Aug. 4 by Ukraine’s ministry of defense head of intelligence.

The population of Mariupol, which before the full-scale Russian invasion consisted of half a million citizens, should “grow” to 200,000 by 2025, according to the plans of the Russian invaders.

“In the future, within a few years, transport and social infrastructure should appear in the city destroyed by the Russians,” the Telegram post says.

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The Russian invaders are considering several plans for the Azovstal steel works plant reconstruction, a flashpoint for Ukrainian patriotism.

From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a regiment of servicemen – along with civilians, including children – were surrounded at the Azovstal plant by Russian invaders for nearly three months and fought without food, water, and necessary medicine.

On May 20, the commander of the “Azov” regiment, Denys Prokopenko, released a video message saying that the Ukrainian military leadership gave “an order to preserve the lives and health of servicemen and stop the defense of the city.” According to him, the fighters, who defended the city besieged by Russian troops for 86 days, carried out the order and surrendered.

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The sacrifice of the “Azov warriors” earned them heroic status among Ukrainians, many of whom see the plant as being venerated.

According to intelligence, the Russian plans consider filling the underground part of Azovstal with garbage, building a park, developing tourist and recreational areas, and creating agricultural land.

Earlier, the Russian invaders wanted to hold a rock concert at the plant.  On Aug. 2, Petro Andryushchenko, adviser to the former mayor of Mariupol, reported on Telegram: “The Russian occupiers have announced a rock concert in temporarily occupied Mariupol at the Azovstal metallurgical plant, the site of the heroically sustained defense by the Ukrainian Azov fighters.”

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