The overview of the current social and humanitarian situation in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic as a result of hostilities between 14 and 20 August 2021

News Overview of the social and humanitarian situation

Donbass has always honoured, honours and will honour the heroes of the Great Patriotic War. Because the memory of those who protected the world from extermination by the brown plague is immortal!

One of those who gave her life to save millions was Lydia Litvyak, a Soviet fighter pilot, aviation link commander, second lieutenant, the Hero of the USSR.

She was listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the female pilot who won the largest number of victories in aerial combat in the history of military aviation. She personally shot down 12 German planes and four in a group battle. She died on 1 August 1943 over the Mius-Front at the age of less than 22 years. On 18 August, the Monument to the Soviet hero in honour to the centenary of her birth was opened at the burial place of the pilot in the village of Dmitrovka.

Another important event aimed at perpetuating the memory of the defenders of Donbass was the issuance of the Decree of the Head of the DPR Denis Pushilin on conferring the honorary title “City of Military Glory” to Shakhtyorsk. At the end of July 2014, hostilities were in the city and surrounding villages, which used to be part of the district of the same name. They have took place for about 2.5 weeks, and the shelling of the area – until February 2015, until the forces of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics closed a large grouping of the AFU in the Debaltsevo ‘cauldron’. According to the mayor’s office of Shakhtyorsk, during the conflict, about 100 civilians and more than 50 militias were killed, about 60 people were missing. As a result of the shelling, dozens of houses, infrastructure and office buildings were destroyed.

Unfortunately, even after six years, the shelling by the Ukrainian servicemen has not stopped. The past week was again marked by the intensification of shelling of peaceful territories by the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the Contact line.

Thus, representatives of the JCCC recorded 19 cases of violation of the regime of an indefinite ceasefire by Ukraine. In total, 219 pieces of ammunition were fired on the territory of the DPR. Under shelling were such settlements as: Donetsk (airport), Bayrak, Gorlovka (Mine settlement named after Gagarin), Golmovsky, Spartak, Leninskoe, Veseloe, Dolomitnoe, Krutaya Balka, Zhabunki, Belaya Kamenka and Staromikhaylovka.

Such actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as Ukraine’s strategy of refusing to comply with the Minsk Agreements, are forcing the DPR to take initiatives to resolve humanitarian issues without looking back at Kiev.

Thus, on 18 August, the DPR and LPR interdepartmental bodies on the search for persons missing as a result of the armed conflict in Donbass signed a cooperation agreement. The document was signed by the DPR Ombudsman, Chairman of the Interdepartmental Commission for the Search for Missing Persons, Burial Places of Bodies (remains) of Deceased (Dead) in Areas of the Armed Conflict in Donbass Daria Morozova and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Search for Burial Places of the Victims of Ukrainian Aggression, Their Identification and Perpetuating the Memory of Anna Soroka. The agreement is aimed at interaction, cooperation and exchange of information on the activities of bodies, as well as exchange of experience in organizing events aimed at the search for the bodies of those killed as a result of the armed conflict.

The intensification of work in this direction has already yielded the first results. On 19 August, the experts of the Interdepartmental commission began their first activities on the recovery of the remains of the victims of hostilities at the ‘Ovsyanoye’ cemetery in Snezhnoye. Presumably, more than 50 people that are buried in this place need to be identified.

The Ombudsman appeals to all residents of the DPR, LPR, Donbass territories temporarily controlled by Kiev, as well as other states with an appeal to provide any data that may help in the search for missing persons. There are special “hot” lines for feedback, where relatives and witnesses can contact.

Telephone number in the DPR: (071) 404-69-29.

Telephone number in the LPR: (072) 216-80-30.

You can also send a request in writing.

Email address in the DPR: [email protected]

Email address in the LPR: [email protected]

However, despite the difficulties that arise in the implementation of the Minsk Agreements, the Republic continues to develop, especially in its sports field. Thus, from 20 to 21 August, the International Youth Football Tournament in memory of the first Head of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko is being held in Makeyevka. Eight teams from the DPR and LPR, as well as Abkhazia will take part in the competition. The tournament will be held among young men born in 2012 and younger.

Citizens should exercise extreme caution when attending public events as the threat of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus remains high. According to the official data of the DPR Ministry of Health, at the moment 53,086 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the country. 5544 patients are in treatment, 3894 cases are fatal.

The Ombudsman calls on citizens to be vigilant and to comply with the necessary sanitary and epidemiological norms. For personal safety, it is recommended that you sign up on the Ministry of Health website for vaccinations as soon as possible.   

 

Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 2458 complaints.

All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 826 complaints, economic rights – 186 complaints, social rights – 495 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 265 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 83 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 17 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 100 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 30 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 456 complaints.

The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens,  submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 20.08.2021

Personal rights

Human rights guarantees in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings

Enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare

Economic rights

Enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions

Enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families

Social rights

Enforcement of rights in the field of education

Issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR

  1. Death toll, injuries to civilians and soldiers as a result of hostilities in the territory of the Donetsk People`s Republic

The DPR Ombudsman’s Office documents cases of violations of Donbas citizens’ rights by the Ukrainian side, including the right to life, personal integrity and freedom of movement.

Within the period between 14 and 20 August 2021, 1 serviceman of the Republic was wounded.

Within the period between 1 January and 20 August 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 79 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 67 servicemen of the Republic and 12 civilians.

Within the period between 14 and 20 August 2021, 1 serviceman of the Republic died.

Within the period between 1 January and 20 August 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 6 civilians and 53 servicemen of the Republic died as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine.

It should be noted that since the armed conflict began in the Donetsk People’s Republic, 5020 people, including 91 children died.

Officially confirmed information on individuals who have been wounded since the beginning of the conflict continues to be reported to the DPR Ombudsman’s Office.

 

  1. Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers and civilians

According to operational data, as of 20.08.2021, the Ukrainian side detains about 92 people.

As of 20.08.2021, 354 people are on the list of missing persons.

 

  1. Register of displaced persons and affected citizens

At the time of armed conflict, the civilian population living in the zone of fighting and near the contact line is often affected. With the view to protect the human right to life and security of the person, and to provide assistance to victims as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine, social housing objects (dormitories, preventative clinics, health care centres).

With the coming into force of the Order of the Head of the Donetsk People’s Republic No. 137 of 24.04.2018, territorial commissions in cities and districts are now responsible for accommodating affected civilians. They work under the supervision of the Republican Commission on Resettlement of Affected Persons chaired by the DPR Human Rights Ombudsman.

There are currently 861 accommodation places in the Donetsk People’s Republic available for citizens of this category. 60 social housing objects have been opened in the territory of DPR. 52 of them operate, 8 of them are held in reserve. Since the beginning of the conflict on the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to updated data, 9223 people, including 2187 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1824 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 310 children, 7399 people live in the housing fund, including 1877 children.