Leaked document shows plans to turn Ukraine into 'rump state' and starve it of industry

"Over the years, Russia started to have plans for those territories, not necessarily as they are now, to annex them fully, but they tried to bring them more closely into Russia, but also for them to be financially independent because they were a bit of a drain on Russian financial resources." She added: "So I think this is probably a big part of their political and practical consolidation of the area. here's also a financial gain to it, and it can help in what Russia would call the reconstruction of those areas. Obviously, they were the ones that bombed it, but a ruined Eastern Ukraine that Russia is occupying is not so useful for it. So it does need those areas to be reasonably self-sufficient."