Donetsk, Jun 11 – DAN. Russian businessman Evgeniy Yurchenko will be dealing with challenges of Donbass enterprises, DPR Head's press service said.

"Russian businessman Evgeniy Yurchenko will be dealing with problems accumulated at DPR enterprises. Inviting a major investor from Russia, originally from Lugansk, was Denis Pushilin's decision. First of all, according to the agreement, Yurchenko is to resolve the issue of delays in salary payments. Until the end of the year all the debts, including to legal entities, must be paid off," the statement says.

"As of today, the Republic has received the money and salaries are being paid. A detailed audit is underway. The result are to serve as basis for a comprehensive development plan," the press service said.

The Republics announced on Friday that a new investor is taking over major industrial enterprises of the region due to the challenging economic situation.

Enterprises, which used to operate under Vneshtorgservis management since 2017, are going to pay off salary debts in six months.

The total amount of the investment has not been disclosed.

Yurchenko was elected head of Russia’s athletics federation in 2020. Before that, he was acting deputy mayor of the Voronezh Oblast (2018), director general of the Svyazinvest corporation, Russia's largest telecommunications holding company (2009-2010), president of the Financial Assets trust company (2011-2016), member of the Board of Directors of the United Aircraft Corporation, Russian aerospace and defense corporation, since 2016.

On February 27, 2017 DPR and LPR then-Heads Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy demanded that Kiev lifts the blockade of the region by March 1, 2017. As Kiev failed to fulfill the demand, an external management was introduced at 43 Ukrainian enterprises.

Among the Ukrainian companies were such industrial giants as Enakievo Steel Plant and its Makeyevka branch, Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant, Yasinovsky Coking Chemistry Plant, Dokuchaevsk Flux-Dolomite Complex, Konzern Stirol, DTEK enterprises, DonetskStal Steel Plant, Komsomolets Donbassa mine, Zasyadtko mine, Zuivskaya thermal power station. The halt of coal export from Donbass to Ukraine forced Kiev authorities to declare an emergency in power industry. A number of major enterprises suspended operation.

Later, some of the enterprises under external management were transferred to Vneshtorgservis. *ot