In March issue of the ‘Pulse of Peace’ in Donbas, we have put together all key facts/reports/analysis/opinions on the situation with coronavirus in the armed conflict zone in eastern Ukraine.

As of 31 March, 549 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the government-controlled territory in the conflict zone in Ukraine. ‘Minister of healthcare’ of the self-proclaimed ‘LPR’ reported only one case of infection. In ‘DPR’, according to the ‘ministry of healthcare’, there were no cases of infection; 7,984 people were under observation, 118 out of them were in hospital, while 7,866 were isolated at home.

According to preliminary estimation, around 3,4 million people in Ukraine’s east are in need of humanitarian assistance. UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) presented an Emergency Response Plan for the COVID-19 Pandemic. The document lists three reasons that trigger fast spread the virus in the regions already torn by the armed conflict: high percentage of elderly people (36% of the population in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while the average share in the country is 23%); large population movements across the contact line and the decay of the health care system as a cumulative affect of the armed conflict.

Read the East SOS report to learn more about the preparedness to the pandemic of the medical institutions of Luhansk region. The monitors defined the following key problems: critical lack of medical personnel, lack of knowledge of treatment procedure, lack of means of individual protection, reanimation and diagnostic equipment.

Igor Mitchnik, the Head of the DRA Resource Center ‘Drukarnia’ in Slaviansk, wrote a piece having spent several March days in the hospital in Kostyantynivka: “If Ukraine reaches a similar number of infections to Germany, Ukraine – and particularly its war-torn east – will face an additional humanitarian disaster.”

Ongoing hostilities make the situation worse. The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine called on all the parties involved in military action in eastern Ukraine to stop fighting because of the spread of the COVID-19.

The Head of the MFA of Germany Mr. Heiko Maas has also urged to prevent a humanitarian disaster. “This crisis has to urge us all to look for the fast resolution to the conflict”. Now is the time when we need progress in the implementation of the decisions of the Normandy Summit in Paris and Minsk agreements”.

People in places of deprivation of liberty are one of the most vulnerable during the pandemic. More than 100 civil society organizations from different countries have come up with a joint statement “On the situation with COVID-19 in the closed prisons in Russia-occupied Crimes and in the parts of Donbas under Russian control”.

The Eastern-Ukrainian Center of Civiс Initiatives prepared a material about the perspectives of treatment of people who are in captivity in non-government-controlled territory in case they are infected with COVID-19.

The entry-exit crossing points (EECP) are closed. Only people who are registered on the side they are going to are allowed to cross; the crossing is also possible in cases of emergencies. In addition, on 27 March access was restricted to the zone of Joint Forces Operation.

On 21 March, the self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk people’s republic’ closed its entry-exit crossing points. “I was not allowed to return home”: residents of eastern Ukraine speak about the closure of the EECPs has influenced their lives.

On 27 March, the Russian Federation closed its border for everyone with the exception of several groups of citizens, including for the ‘citizens of the Russian Federation who permanently reside in the territories of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, if they are citizens of the Russian Federation’.

On 17 March, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a law that, among other points, abolished, for the time of quarantine, the obligatory verification for the internally displaced persons to receive their pension. The charitable foundation ‘Right to protection’ has analysed the legislative changes in Ukraine made to the COVID-19.

Online media ‘Hromadske’, as well as the Ukrainian bureau of ‘Radio Liberty’ report  about the ongoing situation in non-government-controlled areas because of the pandemic.

A military expert Mr Oleg Zhdanov shares his views on the possible influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the war in Donbas.

At political level, Ukraine is undertaking efforts to prevent the lifting of sanctions against Russia as an excuse deriving from the pandemic. This is an extract from an interview of Ukraine’s Minister for foreign affairs Mr. Dmytro Kuleba published by ‘Evropeiska Pravda’ (‘European Truth’) on 30 March: “They [Russia – ed.] act from afar and suggest, for humanitarian reasons, abandoning those sanctions that prevent the fight against coronavirus. So far, they are not directly talking about the lifting of sanctions enforced in response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine. But we understand perfectly the logic of their actions. We are working to prevent this scenario. I cannot even assume that someone in Europe does not understand their strategy.” Unofficial translation of the interview’s extract into English is at the CivilM+ website.

The Director of the Diplomatic Academy of the MFA of Ukraine Mr. Sergii Korsunskyi shared his opinion about “the war to abolish sanctions”.

The self-proclaimed authorities in non-government-controlled territory use measures on countering the pandemic as a reason not to allow access of SMM OSCE patrols. Ukrainian diplomats have already issues protesting statements calling on thein international partners “to keep exerting pressure on the Russian Federation”.

On 25 March, the European Union published a statement calling on Russia to unblock the access for the OSCE to the occupied areas of Donbas.

German politician Mr Manuel Sarrazin, the Spokesperson for Eastern European Policy of German’s Green party, Bundestag MP has stated: “Exceptional global situation with coronavirus should not result in the ability of Russia to fulfil, unilaterally, its strategic goals in Ukraine. Germany should remain capable in undertaking actions”. Unofficial translation of the statement is available at the CivilM+ website.