How russia manipulates numbers to create the illusion of “prosperity” in the TOT
russian propaganda is spreading a statement by the russian minister of industry and trade, anton alikhanov, claiming a 25% increase in steel production in the occupied territories in 2023, amounting to 2.33 million tons of steel.
▫️ By talking about such “successes,” the russian minister promotes the propaganda narrative that russia allegedly brings stability, investment, and economic development to the occupied regions – allegedly something that did not happen under the Ukrainian government. This is an attempt to justify the occupation of Ukrainian territories and create the illusion of bright prospects for the region.
In reality, russia has brought only destruction and decline to eastern Ukraine. The figures cited by the russian official are insignificant compared to the output of the metallurgical industry in the region before the full-scale invasion and occupation. The Azovstal plant alone, which the russians destroyed through massive shelling, produced twice as much steel in 2021 as the entire current steel industry in the occupied territories.
