Russia plans to repurpose Azovstal as tourist park

The Mariupol City Council reported the information.

According to the city council, Russian media platforms have reported on a project to transform the Azovstal metallurgical plant into a “post-industrial park.” Russia believes that this will allegedly attract potential tourists to the city.

“Thus, the invaders are trying to destroy everything that reminds us of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion. After all, it was Azovstal that became a real fortress for our defenders who defended Mariupol for 86 days in the spring of 2022,” the statement said.

Mariupol was surrounded on March 2, 2022, when Russian troops approached it from the south and began advancing along the Azov coast. On May 16, 2022, military personnel were withdrawn from Azovstal in Mariupol to the temporarily occupied Novoazovsk and Olenivka, thus giving Russia full control over the city.

• In the temporarily occupied Mariupol, a monument to a Russian soldier who took part in the capture of the city was erected.