The current week has been marked by a number of important events for the Republic. Thus, traditionally, on the third Sunday of July, our state celebrated one of the main holidays of the region, Metallurgist Day. On 18 July, in honour of this event, a concert was organized in the park of culture and recreation named after Shcherbakov with the participation of Russian artists. On the eve of the celebration, on 15 July, the best workers in the metallurgical industry were presented with letters of gratitude and diplomas. In addition, an employee of one of the metallurgical enterprises in the city of Makeyevka, who is the head of a large family, was handed the keys to the apartment on behalf of the DPR Head Denis Pushilin.
However, along with such joyful events for the citizens of the Republic, the situation at the forefront remains tense. Thus, during the reporting period, the DPR Representative Office in the JCCC recorded 24 cases of violation of an open-ended ceasefire by the AFU. The following settlements were in the shelling zone: Bayrak, Leninskoe, Bezymennoe, Veseloye, Novolaspa, Kominternovo, Aleksandrovka, Mineralnoe, Zaichenko, Zaitsevo (southern), Lozovskoye, Krasny Oktyabr. As a result of the shelling, a residential building in the settlement of Aleksandrovka was significantly damaged.
Another barbaric method of warfare by the Ukrainian side was the blowing up of a gas pipe in the capital of the Republic on 17 July. According to the preliminary conclusion of the employees of the forensic centre of the DPR Ministry of Internal Affairs, the explosion and fire on the medium-pressure gas pipeline in the area of the Mushketovo railway station in the Budennovsky district of Donetsk occurred as a result of the detonation of an explosive device with an army mine detonator. The DPR MSS qualifies this incident as a terrorist act – a deliberate sabotage of Ukraine.
The above facts testify to the unwillingness of the official Kiev to follow the letter of the Minsk agreements. Another proof of this thesis is the regular attempts of representatives of the Ukrainian side to sabotage the negotiation process within the framework of the Contact Group. Other participants in the negotiations, including representatives from the OSCE and Russia, also note obvious manipulation by Ukraine.
One of the most significant events of the current week is the submission by the Russian Federation of an interstate complaint against Ukraine to the European Court of Human Rights on 23 July 2021. This was done in accordance with Article 33 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The complaint concerns 10 main groups of violations, including illegal imprisonment and ill-treatment of people, including in Donbass during the so-called anti-terrorist operation.
“Russia has enough evidence of Ukraine’s crimes on all points of appeal, including the crimes of the Ukrainian regime against civilians in Donbass,” commented the DPR Head Denis Pushilin.
Thus, the appeal to the ECHR is intended to draw the attention of the world community to the acute problem of violation of human rights and freedoms by the Ukrainian authorities, both in relation to the residents of Ukraine and the citizens of the LDPR.
However, even in such a difficult time for the Republic, the priority direction of our state remains the desire to improve the standard of living of the population. To this end, work is already underway to prepare life support facilities, housing and social services for the winter period. According to the Department of Housing and Communal Services of the DPR Ministry of Construction, the level of readiness of the housing sector as of July 19 is 53%. All preparations for winter are carried out under the control of the Head and the Government of the Republic, which makes it possible to promptly resolve current issues.
The agrarian industry also plays an important role in the development of the state’s economy. In this regard, it is worth noting the uniqueness of the program prepared by the DPR Ministry of Agro-industrial Policy and Food to subsidize agricultural producers. Its implementation is planned for 2022. This program is focused on subsidies in key areas: the development of livestock farming, seed farming, cattle, dairy production, vegetable growing, reclamation and equipment renewal.
Another significant event for the Republic in the social and humanitarian sphere was the opening of a nephrology department at the Clinical Mine Hospital in the city of Makeyevka. Thanks to the investment program, it was possible to carry out a major overhaul of the building in the shortest possible time, as well as to purchase the most modern medical equipment.
Along with the development of domestic spheres, our country is confidently developing foreign policy ties. Thus, on 21 July, the Public Chambers of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Republic of South Ossetia signed a cooperation agreement. This event testifies to the strengthening of friendly relations between the countries.
Another event with the participation of representatives of the DPR was the “Foros-2021” forum, which takes place from 20 July to 27 July in Crimea. The Human Rights Ombudsman in the DPR Daria Morozova spoke at the international youth and expert forum. As part of the working visit, the Ombudsman shared her experience of negotiating in crisis situations with the young participants. This platform is an additional way of integrating young specialists into the socio-political expert community, contributing to the growth of professional skills.
The cultural life of the Republic is also an important sphere of the life of our state. Thus, on 19 July, the Donetsk State Academic Music and Drama Theatre named after M.M. Brovun closed the 94th season. The final performance of the season was the farce underground “Day of Dreams” based on the play by Hristo Boychev, which will open the theatre’s jubilee season on 3 September this year.
The situation related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic remains relevant in the Republic. Thus, from the beginning of the pandemic to the present day, 46,254 registered and confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the DPR. 3231 patients are in treatment, 3490 cases are fatal.
In this regard, the Ombudsman calls on citizens to remain vigilant and comply with the necessary sanitary and epidemiological standards.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 2165 complaints.
All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 736 complaints, economic rights – 156 complaints, social rights – 436 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 231 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 75 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 15 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 85 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 28 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 403 complaints.
The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens, submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 23.07.2021
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 23 July 2021, according to updated data, 1 serviceman of the Republic sustained injuries.
Within the period between 1 January and 23 July 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 70 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 60 servicemen of the Republic and 10 civilians.
Within the period between 16 and 23 July 2021, according to updated data, 1 serviceman of the Republic died.
Within the period between 1 January and 23 July 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 5 civilians and 43 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, 5009 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 soldiersand civilians
According to operational data, as of 23.07.2021, the Ukrainian side detains about 92 people.
As of 23.07.2021, 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 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, 9272 people, including 2199 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1827 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 309 children, 7445 people live in the housing fund, including 1890 children.
