FreeСХІД.ua#13 Donbas reintegration vision, Kramatorsk robotics, and a Week-end in Gorlivka
Donetsk Press Club April 18, 2018
This issue covers politicians’ plans for reintegration of the uncontrolled territories, addresses residential housing affordability for IDPs, and tells how to find jobs… for your parents.
#FreeZONE
The Minister of Internal Affairs Arsen Avakov released his plan of returning the occupied territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions under control of Ukrainian government.
According to Avakov, even with the assistance of UN peacekeepers, it will not be possible to regain control of all the Donbas territories at once, so he suggests doing it in stages. The first piece of land, subject to reintegration, might be Gorlivka or Novoazovsky district. To proceed with reintegration of the occupied territories, Ukraine should adopt an amnesty law. This legislation, however, must not grant pardon to those who had killed Ukrainian soldiers, or had taken part in civil population repressions.
The President Petro Poroshenko’s plan: placed strong emphasis on peacekeepers. On April 12, 2018, during his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Poroshenko emphasized that Minsk agreements will be implemented only after all the occupied territory, including the uncontrolled Russian-Ukrainian border section, is under control of UN peacekeeping mission.
The Chairman of Donetsk Civil-military administration Pavlo Zherbivski’s plan: is to increase international pressure on the aggressor country, which will result in “forcing Putin to pull troops and leave Ukraine alone”. Another plan, suggested by Zerbivski, is to use “Croatian scenario” – “build an army and win the territories back by military means in about 5 years”.
The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksandr Turchynov’s plan: It will take about a month to free Donbas by military force, but diplomatic solution is preferable. “The problem with planning military operation in the East is that you don’t have any idea on how much troops will counteract you. …This is, unequivocally, the main issue with planning military operation when you don’t know the real potential of the enemy”, - stated Turchynov, referring to Ukraine’s inability to predict the extent of regular Russian troops potential involvement in Russian Federation’s LNR-DNR project.
Peoples Deputy Volodymyr Parasiuk’s plan: Donbas must be freed by military force. According to Prasiuk not a single conflict, like the one at Donbas, had ever been resolved peacefully. So, Ukraine will have to reclaim its lands by force.
Nadezhda Savchenko, former Peoples Deputy, who has recently been stripped of parliamentary immunity and is currently incarcerated on suspicion of planning terror attack on Verkhovna Rada, also had a plan: the peaceful way of freeing Donbas is to surrender Crimea.
Why is this important? Though most of the plans are perceived (and issued) as political statements, the very fact of ongoing discussion on Donbas reintegration is important to the region’s residents. It is crucial that the problem gets public attention, rather than being swept under the rug. The discussion also allows for better understanding of what needs to be done in the future, when Russia actually leaves the territories.
#FreeDONETSK
“Fakty” newspaper interviewed an IDP, who had recently visited her relatives in Horlivka. These are few of her stories:
- There are “specially trained” people meeting you at the graveyard gate. They carry no guns, but wear uniform. Probably, discharged from “DNR army”. They offer you services as guides. Say: allow me to escort you, leading the way and checking for trip wire or anti-personnel mines along the way. They can also do quick grave-site works. They don’t ask for much payment - some food or RUB50-200 ($0.8-3.0).
- Almost all the pensioners are trying to register for state pension at Ukrainian territory; they use their last ounce of strength to cross separation line in time for actual residency address check. They get very upset when they fall short of getting through the separation line in time for a check, and their payments get suspended. They have to reapply for pension, prove that they live on Ukrainian territory; which they don’t. But before calling it cheating, think how an old person with small pension, even if he gets additional IDP paycheck, can afford hosing rental, provided he does not have any relatives to live with.
- The business of cutting line to pension fund and social welfare office is still booming. They transport pensioners in minibuses. People in line mock the staff as they hear notorious: “the system is down”. “Right, we see!” – Joke visitors as they watch yet another minibus with “pension tourists” parked outside, driver caring the documents through the back door. Still, those in line do not attack the visitors from occupied territories, but rather feel sorry for them.
#FreeLUGANSK
“We are going to move back home to Lugansk as a family! Who travelled there recently, please, come forward! We have small kids so we need to know what difficulties to expect along the way”. – Тhis message was posted in social networks by an IDP from Mykolaiv.
In comments people mentioned all the hardship of separation line crossing. Users advise to prepare for a long and exhausting journey, to order a pass in advance, to make moving arrangements at Stanytsa Luganska checkpoint, and to find a job in Lugansk… the best solution, though, according to network users, is to stay in Mykolaiv.
#FreeNEWS
Scandal of the week. The head of Lugansk Civil-military administration Yuri Garbuz made a statement that at young age he spent several years living in in the woods in a hole in the ground, and once... killed a she-wolf.
Sewing cluster that won competition “Ukrainian Donetsk Kurkul” will sew uniforms for Donetsk schoolchildren.
Telegram messenger blocking by Russian “Roskomnadzor” have not yet covered occupied Donbas territories. Thus, Donetsk and Lugansk residents can keep reading our digest @freeua!
Germany will provide Ukraine with EUR9 mln for IDP hosing. These funds are allocated to building hosing for internally displaced persons in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya regions, as well as in the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions controlled by Ukraine.
#FreeLAW
Housing program for IDPs in Ukraine has stalled. Just a few hundred families can expect getting housing under the “Affordable housing” state program. The reason for such small number is that the Cabinet of Ministers is unable to allocate sufficient funds to the program.
Financial conditions of the program are far from perfect. Our colleagues from "Ostrov" website elaborated on the issue.
- A family of three can buy an apartment in Maryupil for UAH1.246 mln (maximum footage 73.5 square meters multiplied by marginal price per 1 square meter of residential property - UAH16 965). The state will cover 50% of the total cost - UAH623 thousand, the rest is paid by future owner of the property. However, this does not mean that the family won’t buy smaller or larger apartment (in this case the state still provides maximum of UAH0,623 mln, and the resettler pays the difference).
#FreeNUMBERS
- 79.5 % of all goods produced in Donetsk region are produced on the territory controlled by Ukraine, 21.5% - produced on uncontrolled territories. Similarly, territories controlled by Ukraine account for 70% of all Lugansk region production, while occupied territories produce another 30%.
- In the course of war Donbas became 3-d largest mined land in the world.
- New wave of IDPs from occupied territories is expected due to economy deterioration. In the last 3-4 month 36 new IDP cases are registered daily.
This data is from research project “Ukraine’s hidden tragedy: understanding the outcomes of population displacement from the country’s war torn regions” by interdisciplinary team from the University of Birmingham, University of Oxford and Ukrainian Catholic University.
#FreePeople
Roman GRABEZHOV, Gorlivka-Kyiv
Kyiv entrepreneur Roman Grabezhov, born in Gorlivka, watched as his home-town turned into a huge market-place. After so called “Russian spring” of 2014 he brought his parents to the capital and found them jobs.
His experience teaches us, that when it comes to business, the age is not that relevant. What really matters, is desire to work.
“Mom continued working in sewing, she is still doing it. And Dad became the key employee at one of my new projects.
Dad had always loved communicating with people, and people liked him back. And when I opened a tiny gift isle – about 5 square meters - at my store, Dad was very excited, and he immediately started working there.
He became a symbol of my store. Some clients are ready to travel from as far as Pozniaky just to say “hi” and listen Dad talking about new arrivals.
Huge store next door turned out to be an asset – lots of people coming there are left unattended, so they visit our store and get everything they needed”.
A piece of advice from Roman: If you are looking to add sales assistant to your team, never set upper age requirement. Accept people whose experience exceeds your own, even if it’s not relevant to business.
#FreeINNOVATION
Team ITway, representing Kramatorsk School #16, won “innovative solutions” category at all-Ukrainian festival "ROBOfirst – more than robots"!
The team developed a drip irrigation project for greenhouse and pot plants with automatic air humidity and temperature regulation, and irrigation timing device. The main target of the project is minimizing human involvement in plant care.
In February 2018 team ITway won Science and Robotics Festival ROBOfirst in Kharkiv.
See you next weekend!
#Yours Donetsk Press Club