Statement of the Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response (August 8, 2022)
Russian Federation's Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response, in cooperation with the authorised federal executive authorities, continues to record numerous facts of criminal actions by Kiev regime against civilians, as well as the use of civilian infrastructure for military purposes by Ukrainian armed formations:
in Krasnotorka, Donetsk People's Republic, Ukrainian nationalists have deployed artillery and MLRS in private households (Krasnogorsk, Krzhizhanovskogo Street), from which they systematically shell Russian Armed Forces positions provoking them to return fire, with the militants keeping local residents in their homes, effectively using them as human shields;
in Nikolaev, territorial defence units are deployed in the buildings of the Black Sea National University (Desantnikov Street) and School No. 16 (Gorky Street), ammunition depots are equipped, armoured vehicles have been placed in the immediate vicinity of the educational institutions and residents from nearby houses have not been deliberately evacuated;
in Artemovsk, Donetsk People's Republic, neo-Nazis have equipped artillery and mortar positions in courtyards of residential buildings (Blagoveshchenskaya Street). Under the pretext of alleged security, the militants have forbidden local residents to leave their homes, and all their attempts to evacuate to safe areas on their own are being severely curtailed;
in Mirnograd, Donetsk People's Republic, AFU units have equipped a stronghold and ammunition depot in the building of School No. I (Gagarin Street), set up roadblocks around the school and mined the approaches to the institution, but the local population was not deliberately warned about this.
In addition, according to reliable information, militants of Ukrainian armed formations in Vasynovka, Zaporozhye Region, have mined a road bridge over Zherebets river, which they plan to blow up and accuse Russian units of allegedly indiscriminate strikes on important transport infrastructure in a well-established scenario with coverage in the Ukrainian and Western media.
Such actions by criminal Ukrainian authorities demonstrate complete indifference to the fate of their own citizens and absolute disregard for all norms of morality and the principles of international humanitarian law.
We once again emphasize that during the special military operation, the Russian Armed Forces and military formations of Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics are not striking at civilian infrastructure facilities, are treating civilians extremely humanely and are providing civilians with comprehensive assistance and support.
Despite all the difficulties and obstacles imposed by the Ukrainian side, over the past day, without the participation of Kiev, 23,872 people were evacuated from dangerous areas, 4,148 of them children, and in total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 3,206,749 people have already been evacuated, of which 507,316 are children.
The state border of the Russian Federation was crossed by 535,797 personal vehicles including 6,729 per day.
More than 9,500 temporary accommodation centres continue to operate in the regions of the Russian Federation. The refugees are dealt with on an individual basis and are promptly assisted with various pressing issues relating to onward accommodation, employment assistance, places for children in kindergartens and educational institutions, and the provision of entitlements to social benefits.
Over the past 24 hours, the hotline of the Interdepartmental Coordination Headquarters of the Russian Federation for Humanitarian Response, federal executive authorities, constituent entities of the Russian Federation and various NGOs received 29 requests from foreign and Ukrainian citizens to evacuate to Russia, the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, as well as to the Russian Armed Forces-controlled areas of Zaporozhye, Nikolaev, Kharkov and Kherson regions. In total there are 2,760,032 such appeals from 2,139 locations in Ukraine in the database.
As part of the implementation of the Understanding on the Safe Transportation of Grain from Ukrainian Ports Initiative, on August 7 2022, dry cargo ship Reva Wind (Marshall Islands, cargo - maize) left Odessa port, dry cargo vessels Riva Wind (Marshall Islands, cargo - maize) left Odessa port, tanker Mustafa Nekati (Turkey, cargo - sunflower oil), dry cargo ships Star Helen (Marshall Islands, cargo - flour) and Glory (Marshall Islands, cargo - maize) from Chernomorsk port; on August 8, 2022. - dry cargo vessels Arizona (Liberia, cargo - corn) from Chernomorsk port and Sakura (Liberia, cargo - soybean) from Yuzhny port. The Russian Federation is strictly adhering to its commitments in order to implement the agreements reached to ensure the export of grain crops and mineral fertilisers from Ukrainian ports.
However, 61 foreign vessels from 14 countries remain blocked in six ports (Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa and Yuzhny). There also remains a danger to navigation and damage to port infrastructure from drifting Ukrainian mines off anchor along the coast of the Black Sea states.
The Russian Armed Forces have created conditions for the operation of two maritime humanitarian corridors, which are safe lanes for ships:
in the Black Sea (daily from 08:00 to 19:00 (Moscow time) - to leave Kherson, Nikolaev, Chernomorsk, Ochakov, Odessa and Yuzhnyi ports in a south-westerly direction from Ukraine's territorial sea, 139 miles long and 3 miles wide;
in the Sea of Azov, to leave Mariupol port 115 miles long and 2 miles wide towards the Black Sea.
Detailed information in English and Russian on the modus operandi of the maritime humanitarian corridor is broadcast daily every 15 minutes on VHF radio on 14 and 16 international channels in English and Russian
Demining detachments of the Russian Armed Forces and the EMERCOM of Russia are carrying out land and facility clearance tasks in the territory of the Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics.
A total of 7,392.6 hectares were checked, 717 buildings (including 13 socially important facilities), 4 bridges and 130.7 km of roads. 239,654 explosive objects have been detected and deactivated.
The Military Construction Complex of the Russian Defence Ministry continues to build and reconstruct vital facilities as part of the measures to restore the infrastructure of Donetsk People's Republic:
in Mariupol: the first phase of residential district (12 residential buildings with 1,011 flats, completion date in September-November 2022) and an administrative and rescue centre for EMERCOM (scheduled for completion in December 2022);
60-bed multi-purpose medical centre (completion date in September 2022);
pathologoanatomic building with medical-forensic unit (completion date in October 2022);
Saur-Grave memorial complex (completion date in September 2022);
in Volnovakha - water pipeline over 20 km long (completion date in September 2022);
in Lugansk People's Republic:
in Lugansk: 200-bed multi-purpose medical centre (completion date in October 2022);
in Rovenki - water pipeline over 40 km long (completion date in October 2022).
Federal executive authorities, together with the subjects of the Russian Federation, various public organizations, patriotic movements, continue to accumulate humanitarian aid.
The greatest contributors to the relief effort were:
Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, Federal Agency for Nationalities, Ministry of Agriculture, Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, Compatriots Living Abroad and International Humanitarian Cooperation;
republics of Bashkortostan, Crimea, Tatarstan, Chechen Republic, Krasnodar and Stavropol regions, Belgorod, Bryansk, Voronezh, Kaluga, Moscow, Rostov, Sverdlovsk and Tula regions, as well as Moscow and Sevastopol:
among political parties and non-profit organisations: United Russia, the People's Front All-Russian Public Movement, the All-Russian Public Organisation of Veterans "Battle Brotherhood", the autonomous non-profit organisations Humanitarian Volunteer Corps and the Russian Humanitarian Mission, the open joint-stock company Russian Railways, the state corporations Roscosmos and Rosatom, and the all-Russian public and state organisation Russian Women's Union.
For a great part of Ukrainians, effectively betrayed by their own criminal authorities, Russian humanitarian aid remains the only way to survive.
More than 54,000 tons of basic necessities, food and medicines have been prepared at the collection points. Since March 2, 2022, 52,324.7 tons of humanitarian cargo have already been delivered to Ukraine, 1,418 humanitarian actions have been carried out, including 3 actions in Zaporozhye and Kharkov regions, as well as in Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, during which 346.6 tons of basic necessities, medicines and food were transferred to the civilian population of the liberated areas.
On August 2, 2022, 5 humanitarian actions have been planned and are currently being carried out in Zaporozhye and Kharkov regions, in Donetsk and Lugansk people's republics, during which 602.7 tons of basic necessities, medicine and food will be distributed.