The document summarizes life in the Donetsk region of Ukraine two years after the signing of the Minsk agreements, which aimed to return control of the region from separatists to Ukraine. It finds that separate healthcare, education, media and economic systems have developed under the control of opposing sides, dividing society. While some ties remain, movement between sides is restricted and the conflict continues to negatively impact infrastructure and public services. Recommendations include restoring transportation and making it easier for students and goods to cross borders, to help integrate the region if the conflict ends.

1. 1
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 fixed 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 conflict interpret the Agreement implementation algorithm differently 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 conflict.

2. 2
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.

3. 3
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.Tocounteracttheprocess,Donetskregionalanti-AIDScentreresumeditsworkinSlovyansk
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.

4. 4
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.

5. 5
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
Economictiesamongbusinessesontheoppositesidesofthedemarcationlinehaveweakened.
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;

6. 6
• 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;

7. 7
• 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
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