The new ruling elites of the Donetsk People’s Republic have displaced the previous oligarchic structures in the region. The new powerholders expropriated profitable businesses. For instance, Rinat Akhmetov has lost control over his assets in the region after they were nationalized. Under Russia’s guidance, the republic set up trade and production monopolies through which the trade in coal and steel is organized. Lacking private banks, its own currency, and direct access to the Black Sea, DPR's survival depends exclusively on Russia’s economic support and trade via the common border.