___

Even before the start of the current stage of the war, Olexander was an active member of the Kramatorsk community – he headed the association of flat owners of his house and the Parents’ Council of the city, was a member of the Public Council and coordinator of the All-Ukrainian initiative “Active Community” by the “Republic” Institute in his part of the region.

He was taking care of the well-being of the residents of his house and helped organise various events to increase the civic engagement of the people in his native city.

All of it was changed by a full-scale war.

Safety

Kramatorsk has repeatedly become the target of attacks by Russian troops, resulting in numerous casualties and destruction. For example, on April 8, 2022, a missile hit the square near the city station. Among the 60 who died as a result of the strike was a volunteer for the organisation, with which Olexander helped people who were evacuating from the region to board trains.

The sounds of explosions and artillery shelling have become common in the city, and local residents know just by them the distance to the place of attack.

“Even now I hear explosions somewhere far away, but I think it’s really far away,” Alexander says during our conversation.

With the start of a full-scale invasion, he took his family away from the front line, because the constant alarm sirens and the sounds of explosions negatively affected the condition of his son, who saw the active phase of the war back in 2014.

Alexander himself remained in Kramatorsk.

“I stayed with my house, because people remain in it and I, as the head of the association, cannot leave them to the mercy of fate.”

Population

A city of once 150 thousand residents, Kramatorsk, according to Alexander, has now from 20 to 30 thousand people.

Currently, the city serves as a hub for receiving and further distributing humanitarian aid, both among its residents and residents of nearby settlements.

Alexander admits that if there is a threat of occupation of the city by the Russians, he will also leave.

Needs

The most acute needs of the city are fuel, medicines and hygiene products. Food and drinking water are available, although of course their prices have risen significantly.

The city has electricity and water. At the same time, the city authorities warned about the high probability that Russian troops will try to damage the gas pipelines and urged local residents to have spare electric stoves. On 23 May, the city was cut off from the gas supply.

Citizens activity

Olexander notes that with the beginning of the Russian invasion, many local residents began to actively join the work of helping others and are ready to spend their own savings on this.

Oleksandr, together with other volunteers, within the framework of the “Everything will be fine Ukraine” association, delivers humanitarian aid and helps those who want to evacuate from the region.

Thanks to his knowledge of English, he also works with foreign journalists, helping them to show the situation in the region to the whole world.

Transport

Public transport in the city continues to operate and is free of charge. Due to the fuel shortages, its quantity is significantly limited, as a result, the residents of the nearby settlements remain practically cut off from Kramatorsk.

According to Alexander, volunteers in their own cars are trying to provide for the needs of those who cannot get to the shops on their own, or do not have the money.

#StandWithUkraine

The escalation in April when Russia amassed its troops at the Ukrainian border triggered the wave of renewed attention to Ukraine in the world. Nearly a month later, when the troops withdrew and the situation is widely considered as being ‘back to normal’, people living in the war’s epicentre underscore that it has never been normal in the last seven years of the active and deadly armed conflict in Donbas. 

In the end of May 2021, human rights defenders, peacebuilders, journalists and scholars from Ukraine, Russia and France discussed political, security, economic and humanitarian threats that persist in eastern Ukraine.  

‘Big picture’ from Kyiv: main points from Zelensky’s annual press-conference

While the Normandy format clearly remains the only framework where the resolution for the conflict can be sought, the President of Ukraine did not conceal his disappointment in Germany and France, calling for stronger joint efforts.

Zelensky presented an idea to decide on the way for the conflict resolution in a national referendum. Its possible framework and a question to be asked remained unspecified. 

To end the war has been Zelensky’s main [declared] goal from the onset of his campaign and his term in the office. Recently, he has focussed on a public fight with “Russian agents” inside the country. Mainly, through the sanctions against and prosecution of Viktor Medvedchuk and his close circle and shutting down media labelled as pro-Russian. 

Russia’s failing attempts to destabilize the situation in government-controlled Donbas 

In government-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine, the Russian stance seems to be weakening. At the local elections of 2020, the pro-Russian parties received twice less power compared to the results of the local elections in 2015. Thus, their political control over many towns in Donbas has been shaken. 

Meanwhile, local governments remain dysfunctional in several settlements due to internal conflicts, as in some locations the mayors (or the heads of local councils) and the deputies forming the majority belong to opposing political parties.  

Having lost some of its political dividends in the region, Russia is using hybrid methods to destabilize the situation. For example, having the alleged influence or even control over the gas distribution company in Donetsk region, in March, Russian forces orchestrated an attempt to cut gas and thus heating supplies to people’s homes. The attempt did not work, and the company faced sanctions from the Ukrainian government.  

Most recently, pro-Russian activists were organizing a commemoration event for Victory Day on 9 May, playing the usual card of the special patriotic feelings that should grow based on the narrative of the Soviet victory over Nazis. This narrative has long been used to unite post-Soviet space around the Soviet victory. In 2020, however, only 20 people took part in the ‘Immortal Battalion’ march in Sloviansk, a traditional event organized in Russia and by pro-Russian activists every year. This also shows the decrease in the influence of Russian narratives in the government-controlled area of eastern Ukraine. 

Ukrainian civil society calls on the Ukrainian government to undertake urgent measures to improve and renovate the infrastructure of ‘Voda Donbasa’, a key water supplier for millions of people on both sides of the contact line. The pipes are worn-out creating a risk of collapse. The worsening environmental situation of the industrial region also causes concerns among civil society.

“Either you receive a Russian passport, or you are fired”: stories from occupied Donetsk   

In the self-proclaimed “republics”, people live in a “different reality”: arrests became mundane, the curfew has been enforced for seven years already, public transport stops at 8pm. The more or less secure income is available only in the so-called ‘state sector’, when salaries are paid from the ‘state budget’. It means, however, that the ‘authorities’ have strings to pull when it comes to their communication with, for example, teachers and doctors. One of our speakers shared a story of teachers being called to a meeting and pushed to apply for a Russian passport. According to a source, as of May 4, over 270,000 applications to receive Russian passports have been filed adding up to half a million Donbas residents that have already been granted Russian citizenship. Donbas residents holding Russian passports will be able to participate in the elections to the Russian State Duma in September. “Russia may not integrate ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’; it will digest them’ – our speaker said. 

In addition, the demography of Donbas is being destroyed. Many families are torn apart with breadwinners (mostly men) migrating to get jobs and earn money. In this reality, people think neither about Ukraine, nor about Russia: they care about survival and sustaining their families. It is crucial under these circumstances to send messages to these people that they belong to Ukraine and can count on the Ukrainian government and Ukrainian people.  

Acute need to ensure the simultaneous release of detainees 

According to the Ukrainian Ombudsperson, 280 Ukrainian citizens are currently illegally detained in the temporarily occupied areas in eastern Ukraine; 44 of them are military. The actual number of people behind the bars, according to human rights defenders, can be much higher. 

The last simultaneous release of detainees took place more than a year ago. With credible reports coming about the inhuman and degrading treatment of people deprived of liberty in the self-proclaimed ‘republics’, the need to simultaneously release everyone, or to exchange all for all is pressing.  

Narrowing opportunities for Russian civil society

Cooperation with Russian civil society is important to counter official propaganda about the Russian involvement in the war in Ukraine, and to promote the ideas of peace, international law and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty within Russian society. However, the possibilities for democratic civil society organizations in Russia are very limited. In addition, they are preoccupied with numerous internal issues.

*** 

* This online event was invitation-based and not recorded. All the facts and opinions presented here were delivered by the speakers. This compilation is anonymous, for security reasons. Additional information is available upon request. The presentation was organized under the auspices of the international civil society platform CivilMPlus and co-hosted by Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly (France), Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center ‘Alternative’ (Ukraine), Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), and International Partnership for Human Rights (Belgium). 

On December 11, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, made a statement on the completion of the preliminary investigation of the Situation in Ukraine case: “Following a thorough and independent process, I can announce today that the statutory criteria for opening investigations into the situation in Ukraine are met”.

This means that the Office of the Prosecutor of the Court has collected and systematized available information on alleged war crimes. Ukrainian non-governmental organizations also collected data for the Court. “This is not yet a victory, but an important step in bringing to justice those who committed grave crimes during the Russian-Ukrainian war,” Valery Novikov wrote on his Facebook page. The Luhansk Oblast Human Rights Center “Alternativa” headed by him was among those organizations that collected information for the court, in particular, conducting in-depth interviews with victims of crimes.

Also, materials for the International Criminal Court were submitted by such Ukrainian organizations as the Center for Civil Liberties (4 submissions in collaboration with other organizations and 2 separate submissions), Truth Hounds (more than 500 cases in collaboration with other organizations and 3 separate submissions), the Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group (3 submissions) and the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (4 submissions). All these organizations are members of the international civil society platform CivilMPlus.

In a statement, the Court’s prosecutor states: “My Office has concluded that there is a reasonable basis at this time to believe that a broad range of conduct constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity within the jurisdiction of the Court have been committed in the context of the situation in Ukraine. […] My Office furthermore found that these crimes, committed by the different parties to the conflict, were also sufficiently grave to warrant investigation by my Office, both in quantitative and qualitative terms.”

The prosecutor expressed hope for support from the Ukrainian authorities and called on all parties of the conflict to cooperate. The next step is to ask the judges of the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court to authorize investigations.

Original statement in English.

On 15 March, at 15:30, a few hours before the closing hours of entry-exit crossing points (EECP), it was announced that the crossing of the contact line, from then on, would be carried out only in accordance with a person’s residence registration. On 16 March already, it was impossible to cross the contact line! Unfortunately, people who are registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs) but who at that time were in NGCA, were not able to get home, to government-controlled territory. They only have winter clothes, no money on them, and different thoughts about work, about planting and harvesting, about medical treatment, and so on, and so on…

These people are looking for any opportunity to get home but they are not allowed to cross. For the last three weeks, we have been receiving a flood of letters asking for help with crossing the EECP. Here are the three examples of letters from IDPs.

«… I am registered in the occupied territory, but I live and work in Zaporizhzhia, at Zaporozhstal [industrial plant]. I have an IDP certificate. I was on my planned vacation at the place of my residence registration from 10.03.20 to 22.03.20. On 16 March, I learned about the restrictions for crossing the contact line. Having an IDP certificate, a certificate from my job and return railway tickets, I was not allowed to cross into the government-controlled territory on 18 March at the EECP Mariinka, as I am not registered in Zaporizhzhia. I could not convince the border guards even when I explained that I work there, rent an apartment there, all my documents, a car and personal belongings are there.  Now I have found myself without work and livelihood, waiting for the opening of the EECP. Since 22 March, I have been on the unpaid leave at my enterprise. I do not know how long the quarantine will last and how I am supposed to survive. Are such actions of the Government towards the IDPs lawful?  lawful? … К. »

“We are IDPs, and we live permanently in Kyiv and Irpen. I have disability due to cancer.  There is a certificate to confirm this by the Physical Disability Board of Review issued by the Kyiv Oncologic Dispensary. With my husband, who also has a certificate from his job, (he does work in the urban-type village Irpen) we came to Luhansk on 15 March for one day and could not get back home. I have to take medicine every day, I haven’t taken it for a month and a half already, and my condition is getting worse every day because of it. I do not know how long I will last without medication and treatment. I can’t buy it here, and I don’t have money for it. We’ve been left without a livelihood… I applied to the “LPR” “ministry of foreign affairs” in Luhansk. They included me in the list for crossing for 24 April in Stanytisa [Luhanska], but Ukraine did not want to let me cross. To be honest, I did not believe what they told me at the ‘LPR’ ‘MFA’. But I wrote to the JFO headquarters and got an answer, I will forward it to you, “Denied!”

“I’m asking for your help in crossing the contact line, because I haven’t been home in 1.5 months. I am pregnant (24 weeks), I urgently need to go to the hospital at my place of residence. I found myself in non-government-controlled territory as I was taking care of my grandmother who has cancer. She was discharged from the hospital on 23.04 and we hoped for the EECP to open on 24 April, but it did not happen. We can no longer be here as we are running out of money. Help us, please!”

Below, we outline the circumstances that prevent people from returning to the non-government-controlled territory.

“Due the quarantine, I have not managed to cross the contact line with my little two-years-old daughter. I have been in Kurakhove all this time, with almost no money. I spend all my money on rent! I am asking you to assist us in crossing the EECP and in returning home. Please, help!”

A woman from Odesa lost her mother; she died in Kirovsk [NGCA]. Her father is also there, hospitalized in grave condition. As she was unable to cross the contact line, the woman did not make it to her mother’s funeral, and she is denied permission to cross the EECP to look after her father.

Here is another story.

“I am stuck with two children and with no financial means, please, help me to get home, to Donetsk! I am registered in Donetsk and I have a place to live there. I am stuck in government-controlled territory, I do not have any means left to live here and feed my children. There isn’t any help. I have two children and a mother with heart issues. I am a single mother and we are with no financial means here. And there are more problems at home with this quarantine. They want to expel my older daughter from the university, and my younger daughter has allegedly been expelled from school; we were told to come and receive her documents back. God knows what is going on. My younger daughter has asthma with allergies, we need medications all the time. In Donetsk, she is permanently observed by a pulmonologist, neurologist and a cardiologist. We have already missed the tests planned for this spring because we got stuck here. Please, help us return home!”

Representatives of the Kharkiv Human Rights Group have contacted all the people who appealed to the organization, compiled a list of individuals, outlining detailed circumstances in ever case. On 4 May, they forwarded this list, with 350 names, to the Ombudsman Liudmyla Denysova. In two weeks, the number of people stuck in non-government-controlled territory exceeded 700 individuals.

Ms Denysova got in touch with the Joint Forces Operation (JFO), her representative went were, and the JFO agreed to let people cross the EECPs. Another challenge, however, is the EECPs being closed on the other side, as well. In addition, it is impossible to approach the EECP. For example, both sides were ready to allow the crossing of a woman with cancer-related disability (we cited her letter above), but all cars driving from Luhansk in the EECP direction were not allowed to proceed.

Following complex negotiations, a list of 38 people from NGCA, and of 35 people from the government-controlled territory was comprised. On 16 May, 32 people crossed at Stanytsia Luhanska. All of them were tested for COVID-19; those with smartphones had an app ‘Diya’ (‘Action’) installed. This app allows tracking how diligent an individual is during self-isolation. Those who did not have smartphones were isolated in an organized manner.

Twenty people crossed to the non-government-controlled territory.

On 19 May, the process continued. There is certain progress, but it is very slow.

We thank Liudmyla Denysova and her office, as well JFO! Having analyzed the list of people who were allowed to cross, we see that the priority was given to those requiring medical services: planned surgeries, resuming of the discontinued treatment, etc. However, the question is why not to grant the same opportunity to people to need to return home or to resume education. More than 700 IDPs are in need of this permission, many have families waiting for them, they have barely any financial means left, and only winter clothing. It is the third month of their forced stay outside their home. What prevents the state bodies from doing so?

Meanwhile, we keep receiving phone calls and letters…

Yevhen Zakharov, the Head of Kharkiv Human Rights Groups, Ukraine

This nuance is just a little thing, almost trivial, which is the lack of proper communication between the authorities and civil society in the negotiation process. It is a trifle, that makes Ukrainian officials perform actions that trigger mass negative reaction of Ukrainians. A trifle that makes the actions of the government subject to fair criticism for lack of transparency and accountability to the Ukrainian people.

It is clear to most experts that the negotiation process can be effective when it is held behind closed doors and with minimal publicity. However, the messages voiced by the contracting parties during the negotiations are almost always not the product of a “closed process”.

Expert conclusions, analysis of public opinion, consolidated solutions of national initiatives, needs of vulnerable groups form the bridgehead of negotiations and dialogues. In other words, the bridgehead for international negotiations is the result of long consultations with the public. That is why, for the preparation of the negotiations at the Normandy or Minsk level it is essential to provide a thing that is simple in terms of wording but complicated in terms of mechanism, and this is national consultations.

It may be appropriate to remind that one of the first public discussions of the problem of Ukraine’s priorities in the negotiations through the prism of the society’s needs took place during the expert working group “Enhancing the Role of Civil Society in the Negotiating Processes in Donbas: Reducing Risks and Improving Channels of Public Communication”. Organized within the framework of the 2nd International Forum “Reintegration in Donbas – improvement of humanitarian situation and strengthening of contacts between people in the conflict region” (2019), it established the needs of the state in providing practically oriented information to the participants of the negotiations, wider involvement of mediators and representatives of vulnerable groups, increase of NGO participation in the negotiations.

Further development was the drafting of proposals for the government of Ukraine from organizations participating in the international platform CivilM+.  Unfortunately, most of these proposals remain under consideration. Among key proposals is the establishment of an independent group of civic consultations for the Minsk negotiations on Donbas.

However, to put the process of consulting the authorities with the public on the rails of a permanent mechanism, it is necessary to pay attention to international recommendations as well. That is why the purpose of this publication is to inform about the simple and clear guide to national consultations for the states in transition (from war to peace, from authoritarianism to democracy). The guide was developed by the UN in 2009, and is available HERE.

As a member of the international platform CivilM+, Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Unions is ready to build a dialogue with the authorities to enhance the impact of all stakeholders on the outcome of the Minsk process.

Oleg Matynenko, expert of the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union

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.

“As we spent two days waiting for test results locked in a 16 square metre prison-like room, we had plenty of reasons to feel uncomfortable.”

A unique piece on the coronavirus outbreak in Ukraine’s east by our colleague Igor Mitchnik, Head of DRA’s resource centre Drukarnia in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine. In mid-March, he and his colleague returned from Germany and were hospitalized in a small town in Ukraine’s east.

In his article for openDemocracy, Igor does not only share his experience (spoiler – both were tested negative), but gives a compelling analysis of the situation and its grim perspectives in the region, already torn by war and poverty.  

 “As I experienced firsthand, the Ukrainian healthcare system and medical infrastructure are woefully unprepared. If Ukraine reaches a similar number of infections to Germany, Ukraine – and particularly its war-torn east – will face an additional humanitarian disaster since the ongoing war started in 2014.”

Read the whole article under the link.

The post Covid-19 in Donbas: Pandemic Puts People at Unimaginable Risk first appeared on CivilMPlus.]]> https://civilmplus.org/en/news/we-cannot-afford-freezing-the-normandy-or-the-minsk-process-we-must-look-for-the-solutions-we-have-to-look-for-compromises-if-we-want-to-return-the-temporarily-occupied-territories-i-want-to-return/ Mon, 30 Mar 2020 17:02:40 +0000 https://civilmplus.org/?post_type=news&p=4589 Below, please see an extract of the interview of Ukraine’s...

According to the decision of the Commander of the Joint Forces Operation (JFO), crossing the contact line in Donbas has been limited. Crossing into the government-controlled territory is allowed only to those with residence registration in this territory. To cross in the opposite direction, meaning to enter non-government-controlled territory, one has to have residence registration there.

Such restrictions have been criticized by Ukraine’s civil society and human rights defenders. They began to receive complaints from people who could not leave the occupied territory in order to buy medications, evacuate people in grave medical conditions or to undergo a planned surgery.

On 18 March, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine explained how to act in case people need to cross the contact line to ensure their critical life needs, for example, if there is an urgent need for medical treatment, for going to work or an educational facility, or if a close relative has died. Every case will need to be proven with relevant documents presented at a checkpoint.  The final decision is made by the JFO Commander. Before presenting the documents, everyone who wants to leave non-government-controlled territory will undergo temperature screening and medical examination

Passenger and traffic flow across the contact line in eastern Ukraine has decreased by 90%, as reported by the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.

Restrictions imposed by the self-proclaimed “republics”

The self-proclaimed “DPR” announced that it will close the entry-exit crossing points on 21 March at 00:00h. “to prevent the penetration of coronavirus into the republic.”

On 14 March, “LPR” introduced a high alert regime. It implies a ban on mass events (more than 50 people), self-isolation of people arriving from countries with “unsatisfactory epidemiological situation”, entry ban for people with fever and symptoms of a cold if they do not have residence registration in “LPR”. The high alert regime obliges all employers to measure temperature of all employees and to suspend them from work if they have fever.

The so-called “DPR” and “LPR” authorities declare that there are no cases of coronavirus in the “republics”, and that there are enough test systems. At the same time, the Ombudsperson of Ukraine Lyudmila Denisova stated that there are no tests for COVID-19 in the occupied territory, and urged international organizations to deliver tests to the occupied territory.

Restrictions imposed by the Russian Federation

From 18 March to 1 May, entry into the territory of the Russian Federation is restricted for foreign citizens and stateless persons. Residents of the “DPR” / “LPR” who do not have Russian citizenship or residence permit will not be able to enter the territory of Russia. According to clarifications, persons who are traveling to Russia due to the death of a relative will be able to enter if they provide evidence.