Throughout the week, the Republic was continuously shelled by the AFU, in particular, Petrovsky district of Donetsk, Gorlovka, Dokuchaevsk and Yasinovataya suffered the most damage. According to the JCCC, artillery, heavy mortars and tactical missile systems were used. Unfortunately, the number of civilian casualties continues to rise. In the period from March 18 to March 24, the number of casualties was 266 people, including 5 children.
In turn, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, together with the DPR Department of People’s Militia, continue the liberation of Maryinka and the some neighbourhoods of Mariupol that are under the control of the AFU. At the moment, during the special operation, 102 settlements of the Republic have already been liberated, including Sladkoye, Urozhinoye and Zolotaya Niva.
Unfortunately, representatives of the AFU and the national battalions are holding civilians hostage, which is regularly reported by citizens who managed to get out of the besieged cities. In order to record such violations, the Human Rights Ombudsman in the DPR visited Novoazovsk and the village of Bezymennoye, where the largest accommodation centres for refugees from active hostilities in Donbass are located. It is there that residents of Mariupol arrive en masse.
Monitoring the observance of their rights is the most important task. Especially considering the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in which they found themselves through the fault of Ukraine. In the course of communication with people, the Ombudsman controlled the conditions of their accommodation, clarified the current humanitarian needs, and also recorded evidence of war crimes of the AFU in Mariupol.
The evacuees are in a difficult moral and psychological state. Almost all lost their homes. Many relatives and friends died. The situation is aggravated by the inability to bury the dead. Due to the blocking of humanitarian corridors by Kiev, people were forced to flee, leaving the bodies of the dead in the yards and basements. Another common problem is the lack of information about the fate of relatives from other parts of the city, with whom there has been no contact for many weeks.
In the near future, after the complete liberation of Mariupol, the authorities of the Republic will begin a full-fledged restoration of the city. Until that time, residents of the liberated territories can be evacuated, including to the Russian Federation.
In this regard, the initiative to cancel the labour patent for citizens of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics was adopted very timely. They will be able to engage in labour activity without registration of patents. Their documents, including driver’s licenses and vehicle registration certificates, will be recognized throughout the Russian Federation. In turn, the employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation are focused on providing maximum assistance in obtaining all the necessary documents for refugees on the territory of Russia.
The situation with the COVID-19 pandemic is still relevant. According to the Ministry of Health of the DPR, to date, 166,508 cases of COVID-19 infection have been recorded in the country. 19540 patients are in treatment, 10013 cases are fatal.
Since the beginning of 2022, the Ombudsman received 3309 complaints.
- Death toll and 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.
- Register of the prisoners of war, missing soldiersand civilians
- 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, there social facilities (dormitories, preventative clinics, health care centres).
In accordance with 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.
