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Russia Plans $11 Million “War Tourism” Project in Occupied Ukraine
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Russia-backed authorities in the occupied Donetsk region plan to develop a “war tourism” initiative that will offer visitors guided routes through areas affected by military operations since 2014, including sites linked to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to The Moscow Times on November 16.
The initiative was announced by Kirill Makarov, described as the “Deputy Prime Minister” of the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR), in an interview with RIA Novosti.
Makarov stated that the tours will highlight “key points of military glory,” referring to locations associated with fighting in the Donbas region over the past decade.
The program is expected to launch in 2026 under the Russian national project “Tourism and Hospitality.” According to The Moscow Times, Makarov acknowledged that infrastructure in the region is severely damaged due to ongoing hostilities, saying,
“We are conducting a serious review… We are beginning to assess what needs to be restored first.” He added that over 1 billion rubles (approximately $11 million) will be invested in the sector, though the source of the funding was not disclosed.
Currently, Russian forces control approximately 80% of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, with many towns and cities heavily damaged or destroyed. The Moscow Times reports that in addition to infrastructure loss, the area faces significant shortages of fuel and potable water, with supplies limited to several hours every three to four days.
In May, Russian leader Vladimir Putin described the Donbas as “fertile ground for tourism development,” encouraging domestic business leaders to invest in the region. During a meeting with members of the Delovaya Rossiya business association, he noted that the area offers “very attractive conditions,” including mortgage incentives.
By June, Putin set a broader goal for the four occupied regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia—to reach average Russian living standards by 2030. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin pledged improvements in roughly 100 towns and villages under Russian occupation, stating that authorities would focus on “human needs and priorities.”
Earlier, Russian pop singer Yaroslav Dronov—known as Shaman—married Yekaterina Mizulina, head of Russia’s Safe Internet League, in the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk. The ceremony was attended by Kremlin-installed official Denis Pushilin and has been widely seen as a symbolic gesture of support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
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