Meeting with Head of the Republic of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov

In his remarks, Sergei Aksyonov Aksyonov SergeiHead of the Republic of Crimea said that the republic's economy has been following an upward trajectory with higher tax and non-tax budget revenue compared to the previous year despite negative external factors. There are 12 national and 42 regional projects underway, with up to 200 major sites and undertakings as part of the national projects. A major renovation and repair effort is taking place across all essential systems, including healthcare, education and the utilities infrastructure. The waste which has accumulated over the past years is one of the key challenges, while everything dealing with waste recycling is funded from the federal budget. Crimea is set to launch three ecological technology parks, one in 2025, one in 2026, and another one in 2027. The three will have an aggregate capacity of 860,000 tonnes.

Sergei Aksyonov went on to say that funding from the federal targeted programme amounted to 68 billion rubles this year. The region is expected to complete 36 facilities, with the biggest projects including three new schools accommodating a total of 1,800 students, four kindergartens totalling 620 places, as well as other infrastructure, and carrying out major repairs of the coastal protection structures. Housing construction in 2024 totalled 1.25 million square metres, while the share of roads complying with the national standards reached 48 percent. There are plans to bring 60 percent of roads up to standard by 2030.

In the travel and resort sector, six million tourists have already visited the Republic of Crimea in 2025, marking a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year. The consolidated budget increased its revenue by two billion rubles by the end of the vacation season compared to 2024. This serves as a growth driver for SMEs, whose contributions account for 35 percent of the gross regional product. There are currently 284,000 registered SMEs, up from just 82,000 in 2016. This is largely attributable to the free economic zone framework - 1,280 operators registered in it with their aggregate investment exceeding 280 billion rubles. These projects have helped create over 12,000 jobs.

Sergei Aksyonov also said that, building on its economic performance, the republic is able to ensure that the special military operation participants receive all the support they need. There are 28 regional support measures in place. The head of the republic pointed out that he views helping special military operation participants as his personal cause. He mentors two young men who received Hero of Russia titles. Crimea runs the Heroes of Crimea programme, which is similar to the Times of the Heroes federal initiative, and has received over 900 applications. A public council selected 57 of them and all the participants were assigned mentors, including deputy prime ministers of the republic, regional ministers and municipal executives. Every person taking part in the programme, i.e., every fighter returning from the frontline, deserves respect and receives a personal mentor.

Sergei Aksyonov also talked about efforts to offset water scarcity. He recalled the Presidential instructions to include the Alushta and Yalta reservoirs in national projects aimed at ensuring water supply for resort towns. The federal Government allocated 22 billion rubles, so that this issue will have been resolved within a two-year horizon.

The head of the republic emphasised that Crimea stands behind the President, ready to face any challenges and committed to promoting development.

Vladimir Putin suggested continuing the conversation by focusing on the most urgent issues.