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The Governor began his report with describing the current situation in the Bryansk Region, which is a border region and constantly comes under attacks by Ukrainian armed formations. In January alone, there were more than 700 such attacks. There are civilian casualties; 1,876 houses were damaged, and 144 were completely destroyed; 70 social facilities were damaged or destroyed, and 149 fuel and energy, housing and utilities, and industry and agriculture facilities were damaged or destroyed as well. Over 500 million rubles from the regional budget have been paid out to citizens to compensate for the damage. Enterprises have been paid 101 million rubles from the federal budget. Estimates for 500 million rubles have been drawn up and are being reviewed by experts.

Alexander Bogomaz pointed out that the situation was not easy, but under control. There is no panic among the people. Residents are doing everything to support the military. Construction materials and equipment are provided free of charge. Assistance is provided to the military in the Bryansk Region and neighbouring regions as well.

The requests coming from the Defence Ministry, the Governor noted, are responded to immediately. For example, in May 2023, there was an urgent need to build a 50 km-plus anti-tank ditch. Regional construction companies did that in a week for free. They worked under fire, and six people got injured.

The Governor also said that territorial defence units created in the border areas to protect civilians had been in operation for the second straight year now. A volunteer unit named “Bars”is being formed from local residents to repel attacks by enemy armed formations in the Bryansk Region. Today, it has almost 1,800 members, and about 100 people join it every week. The regional authorities are assisting Bars with equipment, accommodation and uniforms. The unit members enjoy all social support measures that are available in the region for participants in the special military operation. The support, in particular, includes payments upon signing a contract, exemption from transport, land, and property tax, payments for connecting houses to gas infrastructure, provision of land plots and other measures, more than 20 in all. Payments are made in case of an injury sustained by a serviceman. If they die in action, the family receives two million rubles, and the father, mother and wife will receive monthly payments for life in the amount that is equal to the region’s average monthly salary.

Those who have come home from the special military operation receive services provided by the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation. They are provided with every social and medical support they may need, including assistance in re-entering peaceful life and employment.

Governor Bogomaz also spoke about help to new regions. More than 6,000 tonnes of humanitarian cargoes have been shipped to the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions. In an LPR town sponsored by Bryansk, work has been underway for three years now to rebuild the fuel and energy complex, housing and utilities, and social facilities.

According to the governor, the region continues to develop and thrive under these challenging conditions. Over the past decade, the regional budget has grown from 46.9 billion rubles to 109.7 billion rubles, while own-source revenues have increased by 180 percent. The average wage has risen from 20,000 to 56,000 rubles. Over ten years, the gross regional product (GRP) has expanded by 3.4 times, with an 11.4 percent increase in the previous year. Investments in the regional economy total 828 billion rubles. The industry is experiencing dynamic development. Industrial output has surged by 3.8 times, with last year’s industrial production index reaching 5.2 percent. Agricultural output has risen from 53.9 billion rubles to 153 billion rubles over the past decade.

Alexander Bogomaz expressed his gratitude to the President for supporting the construction of a perinatal centre, which opened in 2017, where 25,427 children have since been born. Infant mortality in the region has declined from 10.8 to 3.9 per 1,000 live births during this period. Twenty-eight major healthcare facilities, including hospitals and clinics, have been built or renovated in the Bryansk Region, with 3,807 units of high-tech equipment procured. However, challenges remain in staffing medical professionals. A regional initiative has been implemented to attract young professionals: 347 apartments have already been acquired and allocated to them, enabling the recruitment of over 500 young doctors. Additional financial incentives were introduced last year. Furthermore, a branch of Moscow’s Sechenov University will open in Bryansk, graduating 200 doctors annually to serve the region and neighbouring areas.

The discussions also encompassed the construction of housing, schools, kindergartens, major sports facilities, road repairs, the building of new bridges, and the renewal of the urban transport fleet. Additionally, the governor sought the President’s assistance in establishing a new infectious disease hospital and developing a crucial road segment for the region.

Alexander Bogomaz noted that his eleven-year tenure as governor concludes in September. He expressed readiness to continue this work with the support of the Bryansk Region’s residents and the President’s endorsement.

In closing, Vladimir Putin acknowledged the region’s stable and consistent progress, with numerous regional challenges being addressed, and wished Alexander Bogomaz continued success. Highlighting that the overall indicators provide significant insights into the social sector, the President advised that particular focus should be placed on the shortage of doctors and recommended that this issue be considered in the allocation of healthcare budgets.

The President pledged to issue instructions to the Government of the Russian Federation regarding the governor’s requests.

Vladimir Putin also thanked the governor for his attention to participants in the special military operation and their families, urging continued comprehensive support for them and their loved ones.