Media: Russia allocates $180 million to supply ore to the Donbas
In 2017, the Russian government allocated 10 billion rubles ($180 million) to the Federal Agency for State Reserves (Rosrezerv) for the purchase of raw materials and other materials for the metallurgical industry. As RBC news agency reports, Rosrezerv acts as an intermediary in the supply of raw materials to metallurgical plants in the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) and LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic).
The order, which was signed by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, does not specify the types and volumes of the metal products, and this information is not publicly available.
Rosrezerv is responsible for caring for the mobilization needs of the Russian Federation and is engaged in providing humanitarian assistance. Virtually all information about its activities is considered state secrets. In April, the head of Rosrezerv, Dmitry Gogin, confirmed that Russia provides humanitarian support to companies located in the territories of the Donbas that are not under Ukraine control, but did not mention the supply of iron ore.
“Rosrezerv provides humanitarian support to companies in Donbas from available reserves,” he said in an interview with Russia’s TASS news agency.
Sergey Nazarov, chairman of the interdepartmental commission responsible for providing humanitarian support to the affected territories in the southeast areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine, denied the reports about the supply of ore to plants in the Donbas.
According to RBC, the Russian company EuroChem will ship small quantities of iron ore each month to the Cherepovets-2 station for companies in the territories not controlled by Ukraine as part of the deliveries for Rosrezerv. According to RBC sources, Severstal and Metalloinvest will also be involved in the deliveries. The companies themselves have denied any involvement in deliveries to the Donbas.