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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Self-proclaimed Luhansk republic nationalizing strategically important enterprises

A new economic model will be built in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, says its leader Igor Plotnitsky

Igor Plotnisky (center) with self-defense militias Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

Igor Plotnisky (center) with self-defense militias

© Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS

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LUHANSK, December 29. /TASS/. The self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic is nationalizing enterprises which are main employers in cities in order to support required infrastructure, republican Luhansk leader Igor Plotnitsky told a final news conference on Monday.

Meanwhile, he noted that republican leadership would also take deserted enterprises under control. “There are some facilities which are significant for republican activities and they should not be idle. If the owners abandoned an enterprise and ran away, we will take it under our control and will put it into operation,” Plotnitsky said.

The leader of the self-proclaimed republic focuses on plants, factories and mines which are the main employing enterprises in biggest cities.

A new economic model will be built in the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, Plotnitsky said.

Plotnitsky also said all payments will be made in hryvnia (the Ukrainian national currency) over the next couple of months.

However, he said, "the Ukrainian authorities’ efforts aimed at ruining their economy" can make the republic create a bi-currency zone.

Earlier, he said the republic would transfer to the Russian ruble payment system in the long term.

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Eastern Ukraine

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