Pushilin called the restoration of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol impractical.

The restoration of the Azovstal plant in the city of Mariupol is impractical, and the territory on which it is located may open up new opportunities for the development of tourism. This was announced on June 22 by the head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Denis Pushilin.

"The Azovstal plant has suffered severe damage, and it is impractical to restore it as it was. Accordingly, additional opportunities are opening up for us here to develop tourism, to develop the resort component of the tourist destination," he said in an interview with RIA Novosti on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

According to Pushilin, the DPR has 124 km of coastline, which "would be a sin not to use," given that the environmental situation in the city and the coastal zone itself has improved significantly after the shutdown of Azovstal.

He clarified that at present, specialists from the Unified Institute of Spatial Planning of the Russian Federation are already developing a plan for the use of the Azov coast.

On May 20, Oleg Morgun, the Mayor of Mariupol, speaking about this facility, noted that the Azovstal building was severely damaged during the operation to liberate the plant from the Ukrainian militants of Azov (a terrorist organization banned in the Russian Federation). He said that a post-industrial park could be created on the site of the plant.