Eng
РусУкрfr

Content

The Future of Donbas:

information and expert support for reintegration

About the project

The project “Information and expert support for reintegration” was implemented to address the deepening divide between people living in the Government-controlled territory and people in temporarily occupied territories in eastern Ukraine.

The project consists of two components: (1) producing a series of videos targeting people living in the non-government-controlled territory of Donbas and (2) developing policy recommendations on the best approaches for the effective communication of the Government of Ukraine with people living in the temporarily occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

Series of videos

Journalists of “Realnaya Gazeta” produced eight videos about the lives of people in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the peace process and reintegration. Based on the interviews with people on both sides of the contact line, each video gives practical recommendations to the residents of occupied territory to help them maintain social and administrative connections with people and institutions in the Government-controlled territory (GCT) of Ukraine.

The videos provide analysis of social, economic, and political developments in GCT as well as contribute to countering stereotypes, promoting reconciliation and tolerance.

The themes of these eight videos are: compensation for destroyed housing, employment opportunities, access to social payments, transitional justice mechanisms and their effect on people’s lives, crossing the contact line, entering Ukrainian universities, getting an IDP status, selling real estate in the occupied territories, getting mortgage according to the state program of affordable housing for IDPs.

Policy recommendations

The recommendations have been produced based on the profound expert analysis of challenges for reintegration and for maintaining social contacts between people living on different sides of the contact line. The recommendations are focused mainly on communication with people living in temporarily occupied territories in eastern Ukraine. The Ministry of Reintegration of the temporarily occupied territories is considered the main addressee of the recommendations which could be also useful for other state bodies, international partners and donors, civil society.

The recommendations were produced by a group of experts engaged by the CivilMPlus platform. The content of this material is solely the responsibility of the group of experts and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.

This project was implemented under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform and by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva”, NGO ‘Frontir’ and journalists of “Реальная газета” with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The content of the videos is solely the responsibility of the NGO ‘Frontir’ and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.

The content of the videos and of the other project deliverables does not necessarily reflect the views of all member organizations of the CivilMPlus platform.

Donors and partners

Video series

Destroyed housing. Who will pay? Donetsk airport, Lugansk, Rubizhne

We are presenting a new project #Донбасс_Будущее (Donbas. Future). This is a series of videos about the lives of people in Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the peace process and reintegration.
In the first video, we talk about housing: how terrible it is to lose your home, how difficult it is to rebuild it, and whether it is possible to receive a compensation from the state. Journalists of “Реальная газета” collected stories of people on both sides of the contact line.
Without access to non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, the Ukrainian authorities cannot develop a mechanism for compensation for property, which was destroyed or damaged as a result of hostilities. In the government-controlled territory, people began to receive the first compensation payments for destroyed housing in the autumn 2020. As of June 2020, 117 families received the money.
The video provides a step-by-step instruction for filing documents for compensation, and assessment of the difficulties and peculiarities of the process.
A series of videos was prepared as part of a project under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform implemented by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva”, NGO and journalists of “Реальная газета”, with financial support from USAID.
This video was submitted under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform within the project implemented by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva”, NGO and journalists of “Реальная газета” with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The product content is solely the responsibility of the NGO ‘Frontir’ and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.
The content of the videos does not necessarily reflect the views of all CivilMPlus member organizations.

What is Donbass afraid of? Reintegration fears. Donetsk. Mariupol

The continuation of hostilities, possible reprisals, “purges”, non-payment of pensions and salaries, language issues — these are just some of the fears of residents of Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are temporarily not controlled by the government of Ukraine.
In the new video of the project “Донбасс. Будущее” (Donbas. Future) we talk about people’s lives amidst the war and have collected people’s opinions about reintegration. Journalists of “Реальная газета” talked to civilians on both sides of the contact line — in Donetsk, Luhansk and Mariupol. In this video, we analyze 7 common fears of residents of the uncontrolled territory.
This video was submitted under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform within the project implemented by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva”, NGO ‘Frontir’ and journalists of “Реальная газета” with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The product content is solely the responsibility of the NGO ‘Frontir’ and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.
The content of the videos does not necessarily reflect the views of all CivilMPlus member organizations.

Get out of Donetsk and Lugansk. Problems at the checkpoint. Ukrainian-Russian border

Due to the pandemic and also due to the artificial restrictions imposed by the so-called authorities in occupied territory of Donbas, it has become much more difficult, and sometimes impossible, to cross the line of contact. None of the seven entry-exit crossing points (EECPs) in Donetsk and Luhansk regions operates in its former regular mode. Due to severe restrictions, people are forced to travel through Russia to get to the government-controlled territory.
In the third video of the project “Donbas.Future” we speak about
▪️ the ways to cross the contact line through the EECPs and
▪️ what awaits those who have to travel to government-controlled territory through the Russian-Ukrainian border. We analyse
▪️ current rules and procedures, as well as
▪️ possible expenditures and penalties. We will also share the information about
▪️ how to get vaccinated at Stanytsia Luhanska EECP and avoid unnecessary expenses.
This video was produced under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform within the project implemented by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva” Луганський обласний правозахисний центр “Альтернатива”, NGO ‘Frontir’ and journalists of Реальная газета with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) UCBI – Українська ініціатива зміцнення громадської довіри. The product content is solely the responsibility of the NGO “Frontir” and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.
The content of the videos does not necessarily reflect the views of all CivilMPlus member organizations.

Sell ​​an apartment in Donetsk and Lugansk. Risks and life hacks. How is it correct?

With the outbreak of hostilities in Donbas, many people were forced to leave their homes and move to government-controlled territory. Some of them have continued to pay for utilities for several years now for the fear of losing their home; others are selling their houses for a penny.
The rules for the sale of real estate in the occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions have become stricter over the years. It got to the point that the pseudo-authorities stopped recognizing Ukrainian notarial documents — now only the so-called “republican” ones are needed.
Despite all the complexity and absurdity, sales deals in non-government-controlled territory are still being carried out. But there is a big question: what will happen to real estate and property rights when the territory returns under the control of the Ukrainian government?
In the new video of the project “Donbas. Future” we are analysing the situation with real estate in the occupied territory:
▪️ how to sell housing,
▪️ what steps are required to purchase or sell,
▪️ what are the risks, and ▪️ how this issue is addressed in the draft law on the transitional period.
This video was produced under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform within the project implemented by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva” Луганський обласний правозахисний центр “Альтернатива”, NGO ‘Frontir’ and journalists of Реальная газета with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) UCBI – Українська ініціатива зміцнення громадської довіри. The product content is solely the responsibility of the NGO “Frontir” and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.
The content of the videos does not necessarily reflect the views of all CivilMPlus member organizations.

Donbass will become deserted?

There is a critical shortage of personnel in non-government-controlled territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. According to various estimates, the shortage of highly qualified technical specialists is about 50 thousand people. Doctors and medical staff, miners, railway workers and other specialists, which the region desperately needs, left en masse.
If the situation does not change, Ukraine will face an acute demographic crisis in the region after reintegration. In the new video of the project “Donbas. Future”, we analyze possible options for the economic recovery of the region. Should we rely on innovative industries and green energy, or are the losses inevitable? We will also talk about positive examples when, thanks to humanitarian aid, it was possible to resume transportation for residents of front-line villages.
This video was produced under the auspices of the CivilMPlus platform within the project implemented by the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center “Alternatyva” Луганський обласний правозахисний центр “Альтернатива”, NGO “Frontir” and journalists of “Realnaya Gazeta” Реальная газета with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) UCBI – Українська ініціатива зміцнення громадської довіри. The product content is solely the responsibility of the NGO “Frontir” and does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the US Government.
The content of the videos does not necessarily reflect the views of all CivilMPlus member organizations.

Save the ecology of Donbass

What about passports?

According to Ukrainian experts, by the end of 2021 there will be 1 million Ukrainian citizens with Russian passports in Donbas. The Russian Federation uses mass passportization and simplifies the procedure in every possible way in order to further strengthen its influence in the temporarily occupied territory and absorb it.
Residents of the so-called ‘republics’ have two options to avoid a legal vacuum: to obtain a Russian passport or obtain/renew Ukrainian documents. To do the latter it is necessary to cross the contact line, which has become practically impossible since 2020: at first because of the pandemic, and then — because of artificial restrictions imposed by the pseudo-authorities.
Ukraine, in turn, has adopted a number of measures that simplify administrative procedures in Government-controlled territory. There are new hangars for citizens and a new center for the provision of administrative services “Diya” at EECP Stanytsia Luhanska. However, the pseudo-authorities continue to block EECPs, and people cannot benefit from these services.
What documents issued in the non-government-controlled territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions will be recognized in case of reintegration, and which will not be (according to the new draft law on the transitional period)? How will Ukraine resolve these issues? The answers are in the new video of the project “The Future of Donbas”.

Ukrainian elections in SADRL

Elections in non-government-controlled territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the return of Ukraine’s control over the Ukrainian-Russian border are the issues that have been discussed during the 8 years of the war. The interpretation of the order of these points — control over the border first, and then the elections or vice versa, as well as the issue of the special status of non-government-controlled areas — slow down the negotiation process on peaceful conflict resolution.
In the last video of the project “The Future of Donbas”, we reviewed the chronology of attempts to hold elections in non-government-controlled territory and analyzed why these attempts have failed. We also asked people on both sides of the contact line whether they believe in the end of the war after the elections, and whether residents of the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions want to return to Ukraine.

Recommendations for communication with residents of non-government-controlled territories of Ukraine

Recommendations for communication with residents of territories not under the control of the Government of Ukraine were developed by a group of experts engaged by CivilM+ platform with the support of the United States Agency for International Development.

These recommendations are designed primarily for representatives of the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine – the central executive body authorized to develop and implement the national policy in the realm of temporarily occupied territories in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as adjacent territories. However, these recommendations can be of use for a wide range of individuals and institutions – namely, representatives of public authorities, Members of Parliament of Ukraine, local governments, members of the Trilateral Contact Group, as well as civil society organizations, media seeking to make communication with residents of non-Government-controlled territories of Ukraine more effective.

Open

Round table

during the 3rd International Forum on Eastern Ukraine. Presentation of the outcomes of the project “The Future of Donbas. Information and expert support for reintegration processes”.

Twitter Facebook
Рус Eng Укр fr
Site search