Kyiv, November 5, 2015. A civil-military cooperation has repaired 15 schools and eight kindergartens, and are repairing gas and power supply lines in towns of Luhansk region, said Ivan Kryshtal, deputy battalion commander for civil-and-military cooperation (CIMIC) in Luhansk region, speaking via Skype within thepilot project “Spokesperson of peaceful life” at Ukraine Crisis Media Center. “Gas supply between Tryokhizbenka and Krymske has been restored by 80%,” noted Ivan Kryshtal. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are also helping local self-government bodies to repair and restore capacities of power supply lines. “We are currently working in the area of Novotoshkivka and Krymske restoring the second power supply line that feeds Lysychansk from the Luhansk heat power plant located in Shchastia,” noted Kryshtal. Repair works continue in Svatove where fire at the ammunition depot has recently occurred.
According to the deputy commander the group is generally working in towns on the contact line including Stanychno-Luhansky, Novoaidarsky, Popasnyansky and Kremensky districts. Information work is an important part of civil-and-military cooperation activities. The military have come across the problem that “it is quite hard to explain to people that the Armed Forces are here to help and by no means to inflict harm as well as to explain why servicemen are carrying weapons.”
The civil-and-military cooperation group has been working in the “M” sector since February 2015. It is a team of 22 persons, said Colonel Serhiy Kirychenko, acting Head of the Joint Centre for Civil-and-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) in Donetsk region, sector “M” via Skype. “Officers at the central office of the civil-and-military cooperation received 45,740 applications over July-November. These are the applications for a pass from citizens residing in the so-called grey zone. We have processed and introduced to the database 42,700 applications and issued 41,000 passes,” elaborated Colonel Kirychenko. Moreover according to Col. Kirychenko over 800 phone applications have been processed, requests by 562 visitors and 386 written requests have been addressed, 8-9 tons of humanitarian aid have been provided. Civilians are encouraged to call the hotline 472-472 (Mariupol phone number) from 9 a.m. till 6 p.m. daily.
Acting CIMIC Head in Donetsk region emphasized that passage to Kominternove has been provided, the town is located in the grey zone, it helped local civilians set up communications there.
Col. Kirychenko also said that thanks to the “Doctors Without Borders” humanitarian organization ten 500-liter tanks with drinking water have been installed on roads and at the control point Bugas.” The group is also conducting psychological training for school students and education.
