This year, residents of Donbass more and more often become victims of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The systematicity with which peaceful territories are under the shelling clearly speaks of the criminal intent in the actions of the Ukrainian commanders. This thesis is supported by the recent statement of the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU Valery Zaluzhny, which de-facto allowed violating the ceasefire measures, giving carte blanche to commit illegal actions against residents of the DPR.
We can observe the consequences in the events of the last days. Thus, as a result of shelling from the Armed Forces of the Kuibyshevsky district of Donetsk, two civilians were injured: a child and a girl. In total, over the past week, the JCCC recorded 9 cases of violation of the regime of an open-ended ceasefire by Ukraine. In total, 114 pieces of ammunition were fired across the territory of the DPR.
The situation with the detention by the Ukrainian security forces of an employee of the LPR JCCC in the area of the Pervomaisk-Zolotoye checkpoint remains difficult. The almost complete lack of response from the OSCE and the international community to Kiev’s behavior in terms of compliance with the Minsk Agreements is striking. This incident extremely complicates the conflict settlement process in Donbass, as well as all further work of the negotiating subgroups.
In turn, the failure to respond to regular violations by Ukraine may lead to a new round of the armed conflict, in which thousands of civilians have already died.
Unfortunately, as a result of intense hostilities, many children lost their parents… It was with the aim of helping the affected young citizens of the Republic, 3 years ago, the DPR People’s Council’s deputies created the “Wish Tree” project. Daria Morozova, the Human Rights Ombudsman in the DPR, is traditionally a participant in this social event. During the ceremonial opening of the action in the Donetsk State Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after Mark Brovun, the Ombudsman tore a leaf from a symbolic tree. Thus, the name of the child, whose dream will come true thanks to the Ombudsman, was determined.
As before, another front remains dangerous for citizens – the epidemiological one. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has recently shown high rates of morbidity and mortality. So, according to the official data of the DPR Ministry of Health, at the moment 79,481 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the country. 13311 patients are in treatment, 6182 cases are fatal.
The next delivery of the COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be in November that will contribute to the improvement of the epidemiological situation: the two-component ‘Gam-COVID-VAK’ of the ‘Sputnik V’ trademark and the one-component ‘Sputnik Light’.
However, despite the difficulties, the Republic is still actively developing its social and cultural life both inside and abroad. For example, last week the ‘Art-Donbass’ Art Museum presented a mobile exhibition of watercolors by Donetsk painters, ‘Paints of the Steppe Giants’ in Pyatigorsk, the center of the North Caucasus Federal District. This exhibition consisted of 26 original works by 14 authors.
The Ombudsman calls on residents to remain vigilant and comply with the necessary sanitary and epidemiological standards. For personal safety, it is recommended that you sign up on the Ministry of Health website to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 3148 complaints.
All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1052 complaints, economic rights – 236 complaints, social rights – 626 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 330 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 101 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 22 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 131 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 36 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 614 complaints.
The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens, submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 22.10.2021
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
- 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 16 and 22 October, 2 citizens and 3 servicemen of the Republic were injured.
Within the period between 1 January and 22 October 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 108 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 81 servicemen of the Republic and 27 civilians.
Within the period between 16 and 22 October 2021, no one died.
Within the period between 1 January and 22 October 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 6 civilians and 60 servicemen of the Republic died as a result of the armed aggression by Ukraine.
It should be noted that since the armed conflict began in the Donetsk People’s Republic, 5027 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.
- Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers and civilians
According to operational data, as of 22.10.2021, the Ukrainian side detains about 94 (92+2) people:
– 1 man, born in 1987, was detained in August 2020 by officers of the SSU in Kiev;
– 1 man, born in 1967, was detained by the Ukrainian law enforcement agencies. He is charged with an offence, provided for by Clause 1 of Article 111 of the CC of Ukraine “High treason”.
As of 22.10.2021, 353 people are on the list of missing persons.
- 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 862 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, 9185 people, including 2189 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1809 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 314 children, 7376 people live in the housing fund, including 1875 children.
