Separatist republics want to start humanitarian assistance program for areas of the Donbas controlled by Kyiv
Heads of the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR, Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy released through official channels, a statement on the start of a “humanitarian assistance program” in Donetsk and Luhansk regions which are under the control of Kyiv.
In their statement the separatists accused the Ukrainian authorities of “the tyranny of civil-military dictatorial administrations,” ”atrocities of the National Guard battalions,” and the “deployment of the Ukrainian armed forces’ personnel and equipment to residential buildings, schools, hospitals, industrial factories and civil infrastructure facilities.”
“The illegal economic blockade also continues, organized by the Ukrainian government in collaboration with radicals. This led to the disruption of social and economic relations at some point with united people of Donbass. Thus, the remaining areas of Donbass under Ukrainian control are on the brink of a humanitarian and ecological disaster. Growing industrial risks and shuttered factories and mills continues to erode the people’s standard of living,” the statement said.
In regards to the “humanitarian assistance program,” the statement pointed out that the “central area of focus will be, first, the provision of medical and educational services, second, veteran disbursements, and third, help for separated families.”
The program also will provide "joint cultural, educational and sporting events with the participation of representatives of towns and villages on both sides of the line of contact."
“In addition, we are concerned about the status of infrastructure in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. We insist on the possibility of inspections conducted by the DPR and LPR Ministry of Emergency Service’s forces and our humanitarian organizations of active sewer systems, closed mines, the Popasnjansky water channel, Lisichansk refinery plants, Zarya (Rubizhne) and Azot (Severodonetsk) enterprises, KP Voda Donbassa, filtration stations, chlorine warehouses, Avdiivska coke-chemical plant, Azovstal, Konstantinovsky state chemical plant, and Dzerzhinsky phenol plant,” the statement read.
Earlier in the day Ukrainian headquarters released information that on February 16 separatist forces opened fire 66 times in the Donbas. In the Donetsk region, towns of Avdiivka, Kamenka, Peski, Zaitseve, Verkhnetoretskoye were all fired upon by tanks, small arms and mortars of various calibers. The Luhansk areas of Krymske, Lobachevo, Novozvanivka, Stanitsa Luhanska and Novoaleksandrivka were fired upon by mortars. Near Mariupol, the towns of Shyrokine, Povlopol, Marinka, Novotroitske, Novoselivka, Vodyane, Lebedynske, Hnutove were fired upon by armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, anti-tank missiles and mortars.