This week was marked by several significant occasions.
On 19 August, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Ivanovich Dehtyaryov, that turned Donetsk into a city of million roses, was celebrated.
Vladimir Dehtyaryov headed the Donetsk region in the period of economic growth from 1963 to 1976. In the position of the first secretary of the Donetsk Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, Dehtyaryov conducted the reform of coal institutions, initiated creating a range of scientific-research institutions and great civil building in the region. In Donetsk, the palace of youth “Yunost”, the circus and the regional museum were built, and the pedagogical institute was reorganized into the university (now it is Donetsk national university) during his governing. Also, mass greening of industrial cities took place, and the regional centre was decorated with million bushes of roses.
Inhabitants of the capital met near the monument of Dehtyaryov in Kiev district of the city in honor of beloved “Master of Donbas”. A few hundreds of Donetsk citizens came to the memorial.
However, Donetsk province continues to develop. Inhabitants of Donbas even in conditions of armed conflict demonstrated that his region has reasons to be named as a capital of labors. Development and appearance of new enterprises, and also business-projects need in stimulating and active supporting by the state. On 18 August 2020, in this regard, the position of the Commissioner for the protection of entrepreneurs’ rights to the Head of DPR was established.
It is expected that the business-ombudsman will direct to the country’s leadership ideas on the legislative regulation in the sphere of entrepreneurship, motivating propositions on abolition or suspension of actions of legal acts, which make it difficult to do business. This initiative had a special actuality when the ceasefire agreement had come into force from 27 July that led to the decreasing of shelling and deaths in the Republic, consequently, the government had an ability to spend more time on solving economic and social problems.
But, unfortunately, despite the operation of the treaty, representatives of the JCCC still document separate cases of violation of the ceasefire. Thus, 5 cases of violence of additional measures to strengthen and control of the ceasefire were documented for last week. Furthermore, the location of armor vehicles near the settlements Nevelske, Slavne, Pyschevyk, Bohdanivka and Troitske was discovered.
Such actions contradict to the declaring intentions of Ukraine on the implementation of Minsk agreements. However, on 19 August, the first meeting of the Contact Group on the conflict settlement in Donbas, after the summer break, inspires cautious optimism. The work on cleansing the area from mines in the territory of 20 new lands is preparing, which makes possible further implementing solutions of the leaders of the Normandy format regarding the humanitarian mine clearance. Also, the Ukrainian side made commitments to address to the parliament of Ukraine with the request of abolishing the inappropriate fourth point regarding the Minsk agreements on appointment regular local elections.
The implementation of these solutions will allow bringing long-awaited peace on Donbas that is so important in a time when humanity faces the threat of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
At the moment, the Donetsk People’s Republic is succeeded in containing the situation with the spreading of the coronavirus infection at an acceptable level. Thus, from the beginning of the pandemic to this day in the Republic, 2147 registered and confirmed cases of the COVID-19 are fixed. 958 patients are in treatment, 120 cases are fatal.
The Ombudsman continues attentively explore and monitor current situation in the Republic, also call citizens for being careful and follow the essential sanitary-epidemiological norms.
Since the beginning of 2020, the Ombudsman received 3830 complaints.
All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1733 complaints, economic rights – 126 complaints, social rights – 511 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 357 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 90 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 8 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 99 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 32 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 874 complaints.
- 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 15 and 21 August 2020 no injuries were fixed in the territory of the Republic.
Within the period between 1 January and 21 August 2020, 76 people, including 45 DPR servicemen and 31 civilians (including 6 children and 11 women) sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine.
Within the period between 15 and 21 August 2020, no deaths were documented in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Within the period between 1 January and 21 August 2020, 27 DPR servicemen and 5 civilians died as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine.
To be specific, since the beginning of the armed conflict 4932 people died, including 81 children.
Officially confirmed information on individuals who have been wounded since the beginning of the conflict continues to be reported to the Ombudsman’s Office in DPR.
- Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers and civilians
Based on the updated figures as of 21st August 2020, there are about 104 people detained by the Ukrainian side, 362 people are considered missing.
- 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 centers).
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 supervision of the Republican Commission on Resettlement of Affected Persons chaired by the DPR Human Rights Ombudsman.
There are currently 921 accommodation places in the Donetsk People’s Republic available for citizens of this category. 64 social housing objects have been opened in the territory of DPR. 55 of them operate, 9 of them are held in reserve. Since the beginning of the conflict, 6968 people, including 1584 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 2101 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 373 underage children, 4867 people live in the housing fund, including 1211 children.
