The current week in the Donetsk People’s Republic was dedicated to the preparation for the New Year holidays. Festivities on the occasion of New Year’s holidays will last from 24 December to 7 January. The main centre of the celebrations will traditionally be Lenin Square, where the main New Year tree is already being decorated. On 24 December at 5 p.m., its lights will turn on, and the festive program will begin two earlier.
Certainly, most of the attention was paid to activities for the youngest citizens. Thus, on 22 December, 200 children of preferential categories visited the Donetsk Republican Academic Puppet Theatre, where a festive puppet show “Twelve Good Deeds” was organized for them. During the game show, small spectators, together with the actors, guessed riddles about Russian folk tales and took part in the play. After the performance, all the children were presented with gifts: art kits, pencils, paints and albums.
However, the pre-holiday fuss in no way influenced the active foreign policy of the Republic. Our delegates had meetings with the Chairman of the Syrian People’s Council Hammouda Sabbagh, as well as the Minister of Local Government Hussein Makhlouf and the Minister of Information Boutros Al-Hallak as part of the working visit of the DPR delegation to the SAR, which took place on 21 December.
During the events, with the participation of officials, issues of developing ties between Syria and Donbass were discussed. The parties expressed their readiness to interact in a number of areas in the social, cultural, educational and other spheres. Also, agreements were signed on interaction and cooperation between the public movement “Donetsk Republic” and the Arab Socialist Baʿath Party.
The friendship of our states has a symbolic meaning, because Donbass, like Syria, is united by the daily struggle against terrorism. The difference is only in ideology, if the armed forces of the SAR are opposed to the Islamists, then the defenders of the DPR fight every day with the accomplices of Nazism from among the Ukrainian radicals.
Within the period between 19 and 24 December, JCCC observers recorded 2 cases of violation of the regime of an open-ended ceasefire by Ukraine. In total, 14 pieces of ammunition were fired on the territory of the DPR. In addition, during one of the shelling, a civilian born in 1969 sustained shrapnel wounds. At the moment, the victim is receiving medical treatment in one of the medical institutions of the DPR.
Despite the attempts of some countries to conceal the horror and suffering that the inhabitants of Donbass experience because of the actions of Ukraine, the world is learning the truth more and more every day. This is largely facilitated by international events designed to draw attention to this bloody conflict.
A striking example of this mechanism is the exhibition “The Tragedy of Donbass” held on 21 December in the State Duma of the Russian Federation with the works of photographers from all over the world. The photographs presented to viewers are irrefutable evidence of Ukraine’s war crimes against its own people.
Another important act of international support for the residents of the Republic was the arrival of the 105th humanitarian convoy of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. In total, the DPR received 97 tons of humanitarian aid in the form of medicines, medical products and medical equipment.
This support is especially relevant in the conditions of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. According to official data from the DPR Ministry of Health, at the moment, 117,452 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the country. 2644 patients are in treatment, 9146 cases are fatal.
The Ombudsman calls on residents to remain vigilant and comply with the necessary sanitary and epidemiological standards. For personal safety, citizens are encouraged to sign up on the Ministry of Health website to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Ombudsman received 3661 complaints.
All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1198 complaints, economic rights – 272 complaints, social rights – 768 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 378 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 115 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 29 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 143 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 50 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 708 complaints.
The number of appeals (complaints, applications) from citizens, submitted to the Office of DPR Ombudsman as of 24.12.2021
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 18 and 24 December, 1 man was injured.
Within the period between 1 January and 24 December 2021, in the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic, 128 people sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine: 96 servicemen of the Republic and 32 civilians.
Within the period between 18 and 24 December 2021, no one died.
Within the period between 1 January and 24 December 2021, in the territory of the DPR, 7 civilians and 69 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, 5037 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 24.12.2021, the Ukrainian side detains 94 people.
As of 24.12.2021, 320 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. 51 of them operate, 9 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, 8899 people, including 2138 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 1690 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 292 children, 7209 people live in the housing fund, including 1846 children.
