Donetsk, Mar 31 — DAN. Military construction workers are tapping the river Don to fill up the reservoirs of the new water duct running to Donbass, a Russian Defense Ministry official said on Friday.

“The first pumping station has been launched today. The heart of the Rostov-on-Don — Seversky Donets canal — Donbass water line has begun to beat, ” Military Construction Project Head Alexey Leonov said.

The water duct comprises two 200-kilometer-long lines and seven pumping stations. “Military construction workers will fill up the water reservoirs, launch water treatment systems, run hydrotests and tune and test the equipment in the standard operating mode, ” he added.

Bottom dredging works had been carried out in the area of Rostov-on-Don and the river Rukav Kalancha before water withdrawal, and a floating water intake platform had been towed to the installation point. The complex process of filling up the water line will be implemented in phases.

The construction of the water duct began in December 2022. It will fill up the Seversky Donets — Donbass canal which will supply water to Donetsk People’s Republic settlements at a rate of 300,000 cubic meters per day. This will partially resolve the water supply problem for the region which has been been experiencing water shortages for more than a year.

The DPR began to experience water supply problems in February when its water supply facilities came under Kiev forces fire. The situation remains very tense. Water is delivered to large towns such as Donetsk, Makeyevka and Gorlovka according to schedule or is not delivered at all. Drinking or technical water is periodically supplied to residents for free.*jk