MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he had visited Mariupol to see how recovery work was going in the new regions.

"It was high time to see, to come and see using the example of Mariupol, how reconstruction work is going, what needs to be done additionally, what is a priority," the president told the ‘Moscow. Kremlin. Putin’ program on the Rossiya-1 TV channel.

"It is one thing when you see it on paper or on screen," and another thing when you see it with your own eyes, Putin said in an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin.

Putin said that it was very important for him to speak with people in Mariupol to learn their moods.

"It was a purely working trip and it was needed for quite a time. Naturally, it was very important [to speak with people]," he said.

"Frankly speaking, it was an unexpected contact. I though they were workers standing there because they were wearing working clothes. I wanted to speak with them about their work but it turned out that they were local residents. I said: why are you wearing working clothes? ‘I was washing my car.’ Well, as you saw, I was invited into the house and could see how they live. A good apartment. Naturally, it was important to feel people’s moods. Maybe, it was the most important thing," he said.