Donetsk healthcare workers paid in rubles withdrawn from circulation

Despite Russia publicly distancing itself from the so-called "Novorossiya" and "DNR" and "LNR", Donetsk healthcare workers recently received their salaries in rubles. Specifically, in 1997-issue banknotes that have long been withdrawn from circulation and were in use prior to the 1998 default.

It appears that the banknotes were not destroyed but were stored in the Bank of Russia, from where they were transported to Donbas.

The storage of withdrawn banknotes is a global practice; many European countries retain currency that was in circulation prior to the introduction of the Euro.

Payment in old rubles serves as further confirmation of Russia's involvement in the war in Donbas, as well as its unwillingness to stop the armed conflict.