At the beginning of the meeting, the President pointed out the impressive growth of industrial production in the region, growth in the construction sector, and overall good results.
Alexei Dyumin began his report with what he regarded as a priority, that is, support for participants in the special military operation and their families. They receive comprehensive social, psychological and medical assistance, as well as household and economic support. The region offers about 60 support measures, including the improvement of living conditions for the families of the participants in the special military operation with the help of housing certificates.
Housing certificates are also issued to young families from the region’s funds under a federal programme, which has a reginal component. According to it, families aged up to 35 are providing housing out of turn and as quickly as possible.
In addition, the regional government is creating, jointly with developers, a stock of housing to be issued free of charge. About 50 flats will be renovated and furnished to help settle the housing problems of people who are not liable for support, for some reason, or require additional actions such as the collection of additional certificates and the like. To avoid this, the fund will provide precise targeted assistance to participants in the special miliary operation and their families.
The Governor also reported on the fulfilment of the task formulated in the President’s Address to the Federal Assembly, namely, the provision of education and employment assistance to veterans of the special military operation. It includes above all the reimbursement of the cost of higher education and a free second vocational training, the inclusion of these people in the region’s executive candidate pool, cooperation with the partner enterprises the region has signed relevant contracts with, and low-interest loans for those who plan to start their own businesses. One more support measure being used in the Tula Region is a special card offering a discount of between 5 and 25 percent for various services. About 1,000 participants, including small and medium-sized businesses, private shops and chain stores, have joined this programme.
Alexei Dyumin added that they were working jointly with the Defence Ministry to satisfy the requirements, formulated by unit commanders in the zone of the special military operation, for equipment that is not provided to the armed forces but can have a serious effect on the fulfilment of their tasks. This is being done and will be done on a regular basis. In addition, one of the country’s first centres for training drone operators in the interests of the Defence Ministry and other law enforcement agencies has opened in the region.
The Governor said that the Tula Region was the capital of Russia’s defence industry and discussed support for defence industry enterprises. He noted that their production capacities were expanding and receiving significant investment. These production capacities require new workshops and buildings. The President instructed the concerned officials to help with construction projects so that the plants’ managers could primarily focus on production and technological processes. The regional authorities are helping with all construction issues.
Regarding the human resources potential of defence industry enterprises, about 17,000 people were hired in 2022–2023. There are plans to employ 8,000 workers throughout 2024.
The Governor noted that the Tula Region was mostly achieving its socioeconomic development goals and tasks in full. Improving healthcare standards and providing additional support for medical personnel, including the provision of housing, is one of the goals. Medical institutions are receiving additional equipment and technology. The President and the Governor also discussed the implementation of a federal programme to relocate tenants from rundown and dilapidated housing. Everyone involved in this work understands that together with healthcare and ecology, it is one of the three high-priority tasks, and therefore requires special attention.
Alexei Dyumin thanked the President for his support in implementing important projects, including the construction of a perinatal centre where 9,000 babies have already been born. A newly opened oncology centre already provides high-quality treatment to 6,000 patients. The Zabota retirement home, another important social facility, is set to open soon. It has an area of about 19,000 square metres. This is the first retirement home built according to modern standards, and it will accommodate 240 senior citizens in need of permanent care and medical treatment.
The Governor also mentioned that the region was already building the third stage of a university campus catering to the defence industry. This involves the creation of competences, training and retraining of specialists for defence industry enterprises in the Tula Region and nationwide.
According to Alexei Dyumin, the regional situation is mostly under control, and all tasks stipulated by national projects, presidential and governmental instructions are being accomplished in full and as planned.
President Vladimir Putin noted the region’s impressive indicators, including an annual 6 percent increase in industrial production, as well as the 112 percent growth of the processing industry.