Some schools in rural Russia remain in worse condition than those in occupied eastern Ukraine, an authorities in the republic of Tatarstan said in an interview released Wednesday.I wished to weep after visiting all the schools [in the Verkhneuslonsky district] In some villages, it seemed that schools remained in much better shape in Lysychansk, Yevgeny Varakin, a district head in Tatarstan, toldthe regional news site Business Online.Varakin formerly oversaw the restoration of the Ukrainian cities of Lysychansk and Rubizhne after Russian soldiers seized them, serving at the time as Tatarstans deputy prime minister.Tatarstanallocated at least 1 billion rubles ($11.6 million) since 2024 to repair schools, health centers, roadways and infrastructure in Lysychansk, according to the Govorit NeMoskva Telegram news channel.In the Business Online interview, Varakin also slammed poor road conditions, water scarcities, an absence of small business development and unprofitable mass transit in his district, Verkhneuslonsky, which has a population of around 15,000.
Its as if were the type of district where people come for a barbecue, leave garbage everywhere and after that go home, he said.The Verkhneuslonsky district is home to the state-of-the-art town of Innopolis, in some cases referred to as Russias Silicon Valley.Varakin stated the presence of Innopolis, in addition to the districts proximity to the local capital of Kazan, has actually fueled financial inequality and brain drain, as average monthly wages in the district are almost 30% lower when Innopolis is omitted from calculations.Business Online lists Varakin as Tatarstans most honestly pro-war public figure.