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The fuel oil spill in the Black Sea has become one of the most serious environmental challenges for the country in recent years. This was stated by Vladimir Putin at a meeting with members of the government on January 9. 25 tons of oil products have already been collected in the waters of the Kerch Strait, said the head of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, Alexander Kurenkov. At the same time, repeated discharges from damaged tankers are recorded almost daily. After listening to the minister's report, Vladimir Putin called the current efforts to minimize the damage "clearly insufficient" and called for maximum efforts to prevent further leaks. In addition, at the meeting, the president and members of the government discussed the work on new national projects - 57 trillion rubles has been allocated for their implementation.

How the energy systems coped with the load during the New Year holidays

On January 9, the first working day of 2025, Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the government. According to him, he was in touch with most of the ministers during the holidays. The first thing the head of state was reported on the results of the work of housing and utilities and energy systems during the holidays. Construction and Energy Ministers Irek Faizullin and Sergei Tsivilev said that during the New Year vacations the complexes worked normally. The number of accidents on heating networks and facilities of the fuel and energy sector since the beginning of 2025 has decreased by half compared to last year.

- I want to thank the employees of all public utilities, who worked during the holidays to eliminate accidents in a prompt manner. It is clear that people in general in the country are on vacation, and the employees of these departments, ministries, agencies, local authorities are working. This is often associated with great difficulties, nevertheless the tasks are being accomplished," the President said.

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Photo: RIA Novosti/Vladimir Astapkovich

In total, the government will allocate 4.5 trillion rubles within the framework of the federal project "Modernization of Communal Infrastructure" until 2030. According to Faizullin's forecasts, by 2030 the work will be carried out on 2 thousand objects. Vladimir Putin noted that the most important part of this project will be the improvement of water supply facilities. He asked the Minister to keep the issue under special control, as the issue remains acute in a number of regions.

During the holidays, many Russians try to visit relatives or go on vacation, so the load on transportation also did not go unnoticed. According to the specialized minister Roman Starovoit, 6 thousand people met the New Year in the sky and about 128 thousand - in the train. From December 29 to January 8, Russian airlines carried over 3 million passengers. At the meeting it was reported that until January 14 the norm on obligatory joint accommodation of children with parents on board of airplanes will be introduced, and from January 10 all airlines of the Russian Federation will start to provide a 50% discount for children.

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Photo: Izvestia/Alexander Polegenko


The housing issue remains a hot topic. The volume of housing commissioning in the Russian Federation decreased by 2.7% in 2024 - to 107.4 million square meters. m. Marat Khusnullin also mentioned that recently the issuance of mortgages has also decreased. Vladimir Putin asked as soon as possible to submit to him proposals for new measures in the mortgage sector to support both citizens and developers against the background of a high key rate, which this year reached 21% per annum.

- We are kind of tolerating it for now, but we are preparing a number of proposals on how we can still support citizens in this situation, especially for family mortgages and small towns where there is no construction today. We have prepared [proposals] with the Ministry of Finance and banks, and we are working very actively. We can report to you separately - there are interesting proposals, we hope for your support, - said Marat Khusnullin.

At the same meeting the President listened to the report of the head of the Ministry of Culture Olga Lyubimova. He promised to personally come and see the result of the reconstruction of the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The Minister also mentioned the preparations for the XI St. Petersburg Forum of United Cultures - within its framework, among other things, will be held a thematic session for filmmakers from Russia and China. Vladimir Putin noted that soon he will have a telephone conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping and will discuss with him, among other things, cooperation in the field of cinema.

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Photo: Izvestia/Mikhail Tereshchenko

The Minister of Culture reminded that in February the movie "Red Silk" will be released in Russia - about how the sixth Congress of the Communist Party of China was held in 1927 in the Moscow region. This is the only congress in its history that took place outside of China.

- This is our joint project, it has already been approved by our colleagues in China, - added the head of the Ministry. - Further, in order to practically implement our agreements on the creation of joint film production on a systematic basis, we offered our Chinese partners to organize a presentation of joint film production projects.

Prospects for the development of national projects

The main topic of the President's meeting with the government was the launch of new national projects. Vladimir Putin announced them back in February 2024, when he announced his message to the Federal Assembly. In spring, the Cabinet of Ministers prepared a list of 19 national projects in four areas: "technological sovereignty", "infrastructure", "social support" and "economic development". They are supposed to be realized until 2030. According to Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, in 2025 alone, the regions will receive about 1 trillion rubles from the federal budget for their implementation.

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Photo: Izvestia/Mitriy Korotayev

The total amount of financing of new national projects for six years will amount to more than Br57 trillion, of which Br40 trillion are funds from the federal budget, and Br13 trillion - from extra-budgetary sources, said Deputy Prime Minister.

- Here it is very important that the prepared documents, which Alexander Valentinovich [Novak] spoke about now, do not diverge from the realities of life. As I have already said many times: we will assess the results not by papers, but by how the actions we take, the activities we carry out, are reflected in the lives of specific people. I ask you to proceed from this very basis," the head of state said.

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Photo: RIA Novosti/Mitri Dudo

The high interest rate of the Central Bank probably helps to ensure uninterrupted financing of national projects, as inflation in the consumer sector is now higher than in the industrial sector, says economist Valery Korneev.

- Inflation contributes to a faster filling of the budget, and the costs of national projects are financed mainly from the budget. And the money for the national projects will be spent in the industrial sector, which is now less exposed to inflation. And the remaining money for the national projects will be obtained either from the company's own funds or from extra-budgetary funds. Both of these sources are not considered credit resources, which means that nothing threatens the financing of national projects here," the expert explained.

Work to eliminate the consequences of the tanker wreck

At the meeting of the President with the government they discussed in detail the ecological disaster in the Kerch Strait and actions to minimize the consequences of the tanker wreck on December 15, as a result of which 2.4 thousand tons of oil products fell into the Black Sea.

- This is one of the most serious environmental challenges we have faced in recent years," Vladimir Putin pointed out.

Head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations Alexander Kurenkov told about measures to eliminate the consequences of the oil spill in the water area of the strait: more than 1.5 square kilometers have already been surveyed, 25 tons of oil-containing liquid have been collected. In the immediate vicinity of the coastline, including the port of Anapa, about 38 thousand square meters of water area have been treated with sorbent and over 14 tons of oil products have been collected. Nearly 140 thousand tons of oil products were collected from the shore in Krasnodar Krai. tons of contaminated soil, and in Crimea 270 tons of oil products were collected from the coast.

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Photo: Izvestia/Pavel Volkov

Alexander Kurenkov assured that the main volume of fuel oil discharged to the Kuban coast from tankers sunk in the Black Sea has been collected. But due to strong winds and surge waves, repeated localized releases of fuel oil to the shore are recorded almost daily. They are being promptly eliminated, the Emergencies Minister said.

- According to the information I receive, I conclude that everything that is being done to minimize the damage is clearly not enough," Vladimir Putin said.

The President demanded to do everything to stop the fuel oil leak in the Black Sea, including the order to organize a headquarters to eliminate the consequences right on the spot.

- And not at the local level, but that it should be headed by heads, responsible employees of ministries and departments, who would be delegated directly to the site of the disaster, - said the President.

In the conditions of emergency work in the zone of environmental disaster today there are indeed a lot of difficulties, experts say. Especially it concerns the equipment and creation of bird rehabilitation centers. So, if in the Krasnodar region with tools, personal protective equipment, detergents, medical equipment, medicines issues are promptly resolved and supplies are adjusted, but in Crimea there is no such thing, told "Izvestia" the director of environmental programs of the all-Russian public organization "Green Patrol" Roman Pukalov.

- Today, the volunteer headquarters in Anapa received requests from Crimean bird rescue headquarters that they do not yet have such an active supply of volunteers as in Anapa," he said. - In Anapa, the first releases of fuel oil after the accident were on December 17. The next emission was on New Year's Eve. Then on January 3-5 there were emissions again. The sea has just calmed down for three days. On January 12 we are waiting for the next emissions.

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Photo: Izvestia/Pavel Volkov

Many volunteers come to the region to help wash the birds: thanks to their efforts they have already cleaned up, washed about 3 thousand birds, which are transferred to rehabilitation centers. Now there are two existing centers identified by the Governor's Operational Staff - Krasnodar "Safari Park" and Stavropol "Pelican", but they are almost full. A new rehabilitation center for birds is needed near Anapa, because many cannot withstand the long transportation, Roman Pukalov added.

Separately, Vladimir Putin expressed his gratitude to volunteers for their work on oil spill cleanup. Now the total grouping of government agencies is more than 8 thousand people and 800 units of equipment. Over 300 additional rescuers arrived in the Krasnodar region during the holidays.

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