Published on: 2026-07-01
Source: Government of the Russian Federation –
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One of the effective mechanisms for initiating a fundamental transformation of the economy and industry in Donbass and Novorossiya is the free economic zone (FEZ), established by the President’s order on July 1, 2023. Since then, more than 500 participants have invested over 100 billion rubles in the development of enterprises and businesses. This was reported by Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin.
“The SEZ indicators of the reunited regions continue to demonstrate the interest and trust of entrepreneurs who implement their investment projects within this preferential regime. For example, the volume of investments made by them has exceeded 100 billion rubles, which is twice as much as a year ago. Today, 186 investors are carrying out projects in the industrial sector, another 123 participants are engaged in the construction industry, and about 130 are involved in trade and agriculture. In total, they have been granted benefits amounting to almost 35 billion rubles. With the saved funds, they purchase equipment and launch new production lines. Ultimately, all this contributes to the growth of business activity, the restart of the economy, and an improvement in the quality of life of people in Donbass and Novorossiya,” said Marat Khusnullin.
The Deputy Prime Minister specified that 186 companies have become participants in the SEZ in the DPR, 189 in the LPR, and 79 and 58 respectively in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The regulator of the free economic zone is the Ministry of Construction.
“When creating the SEZ, we used a comprehensive approach to launch the economy from scratch in difficult conditions. The main tools are the possibility for investors to use a preferential regime, which includes the right to tax, customs, and other benefits,” noted Deputy Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services Almaz Khusainov.
The authority of the management company has been assigned to the Territorial Development Fund JSC.
“The key advantage of the SEZ is sufficient resilience to market fluctuations: the preferences enshrined in law allow it to maintain the investment attractiveness of the regions. At the same time, its mechanisms are quite flexible where possible. For example, the rate on the concessional lending program is tied to the Central Bank’s prime rate, which was recently lowered, so today the interest on the concessional loan is 8.25%. Thanks to concessional loans, borrowers have already managed to save 1 billion rubles, which are directed towards the development of enterprises. In addition, the FRT as the managing company interacts directly with investors and supports participants. We also develop legislative initiatives that help minimize barriers to joining the SEZ. For instance, a law was recently signed that reduces the minimum required capital investment volume from 30% to 10%,” added Vasily Kupyzin, General Director of the Territorial Development Fund.
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