The Zaporozhye Region in southern Ukraine will give up the Ukrainian hryvnia and switch over to settlements in Russian rubles, member of the chief council of the regional military-civil administration Vladimir Rogov told TASS on Sunday.

“In our specialists’ estimates, we will need about four months or, perhaps, slightly less, to completely get rid of the hryvnia,” Rogov said.

The Zaporozhye Region is re-setting peaceful life on its territory, the regional official said. During the past three months, there were periods when the hryvnia was no longer in circulation while the rules were unavailable yet. The hryvnia was inaccessible as the Ukrainian authorities and banks immediately blocked any possibilities for people to get money, he explained.

Also, the head of the regional Ukrpost post office service left the liberated territories with millions of hryvnias intended for social payouts, Rogov said.

The member of the chief council of the regional military-civil administration earlier said that 70% of the Zaporozhye Region had been liberated. However, the Ukrainian military is still holding only the city of Zaporozhye hostage, Tass reports.

Zaporozhye Region to offer Russia military airfield, naval base, says official

The Zaporozhye Region in southern Ukraine liberated by the Russian troops can offer Russia a military airfield in Melitopol and a naval base in Berdyansk on the coast of the Sea of Azov, member of the chief council of the regional military-civil administration Vladimir Rogov told TASS on Sunday.

“On the other hand, the Melitopol military airfield can clearly be a valuable asset because this is a convenient aerodrome for a full-fledged Russian Aerospace Force base that can accommodate both fighters and bombers, air defense systems and military transport aircraft,” Rogov said

“I believe that we have something to offer because we have at least two military bases on the liberated territory. This is the former Ukrainian Vostok naval base that is located in Berdyansk and is fairly well equipped and all logistics facilities are available. But naturally, it is the leadership of the [Russian] Defense Ministry that should decide whether it needs this base simply because the Sea of Azov has become Russia’s internal sea and, perhaps, there is no need for the presence of the military in Berdyansk,” the regional official said.

The presence of Russian troops on the territory of the Zaporozhye Region is a guarantee of the safety and security of regional residents and the region understands this well, he added.

Attempt was made to steal Scythian gold by order from Europe — Zaporozhye authorities

“We have recently prevented an attempt to steal and move out the legendary Scythian gold to non-CIS countries”, Vladimir Rogov said. Authorities and law enforcement agencies of the Zaporozhye Region prevented the move-out of the Scythian gold collection from the Melitopol regional museum to Europe, Vladimir Rogov, a member of the chief council of the civil-military administration of the Zaporozhye region, told TASS in an interview.