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POLICY BRIEF

HOW TO LIVE WITH UNCONTROLLED DONBAS? ANALYTIC MEMORANDUM

More than 2 years have passed since Minsk I was signed in September, 2014. The Agreement fi xed a

step-by-step return of the uncontrolled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions under the control

of Ukraine. However, it has not been implemented yet; moreover, it has been violated many times.

The parties to the confl ict interpret the Agreement implementation algorithm diff erently and accuse

each other of unwillingness to implement it. There are local clashes and shooting at the demarcation

line; diplomats hold regular meetings in European countries and in Minsk; however, there has been

no breakthrough. At the same time, those people, who live on the territory of the Donetsk region,

which was united in the past, continue living in new conditions.

NGO Donetsk Institute of Information has conducted audit of various spheres of life in the Donetsk

region during the two years of the non-implementation of the Minsk Agreement and presents

recommendations which might help make the life of civilians as well as the future reintegration of

the region easier.

The non-implementation of the Minsk Agreement has lasted for two years. What is the life like in the

Donetsk region? Two parallel realities have been formed for two years of the active hostilities and

trenched warfare. Ukrainian citizens on both sides of the front line have been living in this parallel

reality. The demarcation line does not only exist on the map. It separated various spheres of people’s

life in accordance with the territories controlled by the opposite parties to the confl ict.

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Alternative systems of health care, education, media, etc. have been formed on the occupied

territory. The freedom of people’s movement between the territory controlled by Ukraine and the

one controlled by militants is limited by the system of permits. The consequences of the war are

manifested everywhere — there are losses in the sphere of infrastructure and personnel which are

accompanied by total militarization.

The Minsk Agreements are directed to the return of the occupied areas under the control of Ukraine.

Today, when ceasefire is not observed, their implementation does not look like a fast and easy

process. However, there are opportunities to strengthen ties with residents of the uncontrolled

territory which is a very important task in the integration prospects for the region.

Healthcare Development Tendencies

Worse quality of medical care and access to it are the result of the separation of the

healthcare system by the front line and problems with personnel. Ukraine has suffered

dramatic infrastructure losses — medical institutions of the third level, regional oncological centre,

burn centre, and some other ones, are on the uncontrolled territory. It makes access to specialized

medical aid more difficult for residents of the uncontrolled territory.

The restoration of the system of regional medical institutions has just started and faces a

number of organizational problems. There are problems with payout of salaries and subsistences

as well as personal redundancies. A lot of professionals left the territory of hostilities for foreign

countries or for other cities of Ukraine.

Specific conditions of providing patients with drugs. Medicines are in scarce supply on the

both sides of the demarcation line (especially on the uncontrolled territory because of the blockade

announced by Ukraine). That causes price rise and the use of alternative medical treatment. The most

acute problem is with cardiological drugs, blood pressure normalization drugs, and tranquilizers.

The Russian Federation supplies a lot of drugs, but mostly those which are used in military medicine.

However, a part of them is given to civilians.

Militarization of medicine. The work of local hospitals is greatly influenced by hostilities, in

particular, by the necessity to treat victims of hostilities on the both sides of the conflict. Treatment

of the wounded distracts medical personnel and resources from their routine work. High level of

diseases among the military (HIV, hepatitis) influences the epidemiological situation in the region.

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As a rule, incidence rate among the military is higher than among civilians. The situation on the

uncontrolled territory may get worse and influence the situation in other parts of the Donbas and

Ukraine. To counteract the process, Donetsk regional anti-AIDS centre resumed its work in Slovyansk

in the spring, 2016.

Situation in education sphere

Degradation of higher school. The campaign of university evacuation from the uncontrolled territory

was not very successful. Universities evacuated from the occupied zone experience similar problems:

absence of material and technical basis, and absence of accommodation for academics and students.

The industrial basis, which students were trained for, was left on the occupied territory. In the

conditions of competition in the Ukrainian education market, the prospects are not optimistic for

the evacuated universities. The 2015 and 2016 university admission campaigns prove that fact. At

the same time, university “doubles” are working on the uncontrolled territory. They are working

on the basis of evacuated Ukrainian universities, and their teachers are those who could not leave

or did not want to. These universities are not recognized at the international level; still they admit

students. Cooperation with Russian universities allows them to simplify the procedure of awarding

Russian-style diplomas to students from Donetsk and Luhansk regions. However, despite powerful

propaganda, those diplomas are not taken seriously.

Acute problem of attracting students to Ukrainian universities. Students from the Donbas do not

want to study on the territory of hostilities. They choose neighboring Kharkiv, Dnipro or Zaporizhzha

to study in. Kyiv and Russian cities are also popular. Possibility to enter Ukrainian universities has

remained a problem for applicants from occupied territories. Kyiv is doing something in this respect.

However, there is no set of concessions for representatives of occupied territories. Russian and local

textbooks have gradually been introduced on he occupied territory, and curricula are being modified

in accordance with Russian standards. That makes it difficult for young people who are interested in

Ukrainian education to return to it.

In general, the level of instruction has lowered. The level of teachig is getting lower on the

uncontrolled territory as well as in the “grey zone”. Most of all, that is caused by hostilities and

practical problems connected with them. There are not enough qualified teachers (because a number

of teachers have left the territory), and it happens that subjects taught sometimes do not correspond

to the profile of the university.

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Universities are involved in the militarization of society. On the occupied territory, it happens

in the form of local patriotism propaganda, launching of military camps for young people, and

arrangement of regular educational events. There are also processes connected with ideological

education of youth on the controlled territory in the form of meetings with the military, patriotic

lineups, etc.

Work of MM on the both sides of the conflict

Attempts to influence MM editorial policy. MM editorial offices and journalists are under

pressure on the ucontrolled territory if their professional activities do not satisfy “DPR” and “LPR”

organizations. Sometimes that was accompanied with physical violence, seizure of editorial offices,

and threats. Representatives of those foreign and Ukrainian MM who are allowed to work on the

uncontrolled territory by militants are under constant threat to be kidnapped and expelled from the

uncontrolled territory. On the controlled territory, there are attempts to influence MM editorial policy

with “patriotism” appeals to their employees: a lot of journalists think that such policy is a normal

thing; others consider it as pressure.

On the uncontrolled territory, MM lost its main public and social function, that is – to control

the power. MM turned into a subdivision of the executive branch and are governed by “L-DPR”

instead of being the fourth power. TМ and radio broadcasting companies, which were not set up by the

self-proclaimed bodies of power or legal entities created by them, cannot work on the uncontrolled

territory until 2017.

Restricted access to MM. When the TV tower in Donetsk was seized by militants, Ukrainian TV

channels lost the opportunity of analog or digital broadcasting on the major part of the uncontrolled

territory. Militants ordered providers to block Ukrainian TV channels and some Internet sites. The

same, but in respect to Russian channels, was demanded from cable TV providers by the Ukrainian

Security Service on the territory of Ukraine.

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Situation with freedom of movement

Problems experienced by physical persons when they cross the demarcation line. The

movement is made more complicated due to checkpoints and permits that regulate the movement

across the demarcation line. However, interpersonal contacts remain very strong. Despite the

existing problems, about 21 thousand people cross the demarcation line daily. There is no normal

system of passenger transportation, so there have appeared a lot of private carriers.

Corruption remains a problem

Economic ties among businesses on the opposite sides of the demarcation line have weakened.

Cases of double registration, by Ukrainian bodies and “L-DPR”, have become typical. There is also

double accounting. Ukraine maintains economic relations with the uncontrolled territory with the

help of railway. The following statistical data proves that these relations exist: starting from June

2015 (the time when accounting was introduced), 628.5 thousand railway cars have been checked at

checkpoints; in 2015, about 16 million tons of coal were delivered from the uncontrolled territory (all

in all, 39.7 million were extracted in Ukraine in 2015).

About the work of railway checkpoints in the ATO zone

Change of business orientation to other markets. Critical economic situation, loss of traditional

sales markets, problems with logistics due to checkpoints and permits resulted in the change

of orientation of a large number of small and medium businesses that work on the uncontrolled

territory. They are supplied by suppliers from Russia now.

Forecast

The analysis of the present situation in the above mentioned spheres allows to evaluate prospects

and potential of their reintegration and restoration in case of the conflict de-escalation:

• Reintegration of health care may be conducted quite easily. Doctor’s work demands,

first of all, loyalty to the profession and protection of patients. Antagonism in this area is

personal and is connected with particular individuals, but not the whole system;

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• The situation in the area of education is complicated because of its involvement

in propaganda campaign — the process which is more typical of “L-DPR”. The radical

position of the part of academics in respect to each other interferes with the constructive

approach to search for ways for integration;

• Media sphere should become an instrument of reintegration. It is not necessary for

Ukrainian channels representatives to be physically present in the uncontrolled part of the

Donbas in order to resume Ukrainian broadcasting — only the infrastructure should be

restored;

• Big enterprises from the uncontrolled territory are still integrated in Ukrainian

production chains. The removal of trade barriers for small and medium business may

accelerate the restoration of economic relations. Business oriented to Ukrainian economy

may become the agent of Ukrainian influence on the uncontrolled territory;

• Reintegration at interpersonal level has already been taking place (statistics shows that

875 thousand people crossed the demarcation line in August 2016).

Conclusions ans recommendations:

Prolongation of the military conflict worsens the artificial separation of the two parts of the

Donbas as the newly created institutions on the uncontrolled territory are getting stronger

with the time. They get the status of legal ones among “L-DPR” locals in the conditions of the

absence of alternative structures which may fulfill social and humanitarian functions. Ukraine does

not consider them to be legitimate ones. Humanitarian issues are just the background for considering

political issues within the framework of the Minsk talks. Humanitarian issues are considered to

be minor ones in comparison with political questions. We believe that Ukrainian power should

concentrate on particular things which may make the life of civilians in the ATO zone easier:

• To consider the possibility of restoring systematic passenger transportation between

controlled and uncontrolled territories (restoring railway transportation is a priority task);

• To consider the possibility of transferring chackpoints closer to the demarcation line which

will make it easier for locals to cross the demarcation line;

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• To make it easier for applicants from the uncontrolled territory to become students of

Ukrainian universities. It is necessary to provide concessions for them if they enter evacuated

universities: this will increase the number of students at these universities;

• To remove restrictions on taking medicines to the uncontrolled territory as the present

situation threatens civilians, not militants;

• To allow to transport goods across the demarcation line not only by railway and arrange

checkpoints for trucks. This will return small and medium business from the uncontrolled

territory to the economic space of Ukraine.

The analytical report was prepared by NGO “Donetsk Institute of Information” within the framework of “Initiatives for Developing Ukrainian Analytical Centers” which is implemented by the International Renaissance Foundation in partnership with the Fund of the Development of Analytical Centers (TTF) with the financial support of the Swedish Embassy in Ukraine (SIDA). The thoughts and opinions presented in the report reflect the author’s position and may not reflect the opinion of the Swedish government, International Renaissance Foundation, and the Fund of the Development of Analytical Centers (TTF).

Expert group: Vitaliy Syzov, Mykola Zamykula.Editor: Vitaliy Syzov

PDF version with all links: dii.dn.ua/news

November, 2016

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