This week is marked by several significant occasions.
Nazism is a crime against morality and humanity. Millions of people around the world gave their lives for defeating the ideology of death and hatred. However, unfortunately, last time we can observe the splash of activity of far-right groups which use the Nazi ideology. Furthermore, today some States cooperate and accept help from neo-Nazis in order to implement their own political ambitions and aims.
The report on 17 July by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation “On the situation of human rights in Ukraine” strictly points to undisguised support extreme right-wing ideology by the government. Particularly, authors indicate opened glorification of Nazism, also there are facts of right-wing extremism and ultra-nationalism groups’ receiving of state support, including financial part. Consequences of the policy are cases of unpunished harassment against opponents, forced violence against dissidents, among them killings. Acts of vandalism and destroy memory places are massively fixed. Ukraine is on one of the top places in the xenophobia chart among European countries. Particularly frequent hosts of the idea are soldiers of so-called “volunteer” battalions, where delinquency is stable at a high level.
On 23 July in Poltava former soldiery of the AFU and participant of armed conflict in Donbas Roman Skripnik took a policeman hostage, threatened with grenade that tried to detain him for auto theft. Two days earlier there was a similar situation in Lutsk. Maksim Krivosh has previous two convictions, attempted to capture and mine a bus with 13 passengers. That day in Kiev two self-made explosive devices were defused. It was impossible to imagine such situations 7 years ago in peaceful Ukraine those days.
Moreover, this week terrorism is still relevant not only for peaceful cities in Ukraine. On 22 July in the north of Gorlivka the highway of canal Seversky Donets – Donbas (SDD) was damaged because of mortar fire by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It has resulted in the disruption of water supply and injures of life-support objects in the Donetsk People’s Republic. Drinking water leakage in water pipeline is 65 thousand м³ per hour. Water supply was stopped for more than 50% throughout the Republic. It should be noted that canal SDD is a key source of water supply in Donbas. AFU actions could lead to an irreparable humanitarian disaster.
In this regard, we hope that agreed measures of control over a cease-fire in the Contact line by participants of the Contact Group on the conflict settlement in Donbas will be fully implemented on 27 July and will bring long-awaited and honored peace to citizens of the Republic.
Armed battles are dangerous especially for civilian people during the pandemic COVID-19, the whole world tries to make common steps in the struggle with it.
Nowadays the Donetsk People’s Republic manages to contain the situation with spreading of COVID-19. From the beginning of pandemic to the present days overall 1611 registered and confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Republic. 770 patients are in treatment, 94 cases are fatal.
The Ombudsman continues to attentively explore and monitor the 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 3,306 complaints.
All received complaints can be divided into nine categories: personal rights – 1493 complaints, economic rights – 107 complaints, social rights – 432 complaints; guarantees of human rights in civil, administrative and criminal proceedings – 275 complaints; enforcement of human rights in penitentiary institutions – 81 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of education – 6 complaints; enforcement of rights in the field of healthcare – 92 complaints; enforcement of rights of mothers, children and families – 26 complaints, issues connected with the political and military situation in DPR – 794 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 18 and 24 July 2020 no injuries were fixed in the territory of the Republic.
Within the period between 1 January and 24 July 2020, 76 people, including 45 DPR servicemen and 31 civilians (including 6 child and 11 women) sustained injuries and traumas of varying severities as a result of armed aggression by Ukraine.
Within the period between 18 and 24 July 2020, no deaths were documented in the Donetsk People’s Republic.
Within the period between 1 January and 24 July 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 4,932 people died, including 81 children.
For the year of comprehensive, absolute, sustainable and open-ended cease-fire (from 21 July 2019) 7 civilians were dead (2 men, 5 women), 61 persons were wounded (including 34 men, 19 women and 8 children).
- Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiers and civilians
Based on the updated figures as of 24th July 2020, there are 105 people detained by the Ukrainian side. 408 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 920 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, 6,991 people, including 1,611 children have been registered as persons affected as a result of the conflict. Currently, 2,102 people live in social housing objects of the Donetsk People’s Republic, including 379 underage children, 4,889 people live in the housing fund, including 1,232 children.
