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DPR defense ministry calls closing checkpoints with Ukraine genocide of Donbass people

Сheckpoint restrictions mostly affect pensioners who cannot receive their social payments if crossing is prohibited, DPR defense ministry spokesman notes

MOSCOW, February 2. /TASS/. Closing checkpoints between the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Ukraine is the continuation of Kiev’s genocide of people in Donbass, DPR defense ministry spokesman Eduard Basurin said on Tuesday.

"We note that Ukrainian side is strengthening its economic blockade of DPR. In particular, Ukrainian military commanders find new excuses to close checkpoints between the republic and Ukraine to restrict the movement of people," Basurin told Donetsk News Agency. "This is nothing else but continuing genocide of Donbass people by Ukrainian government," he added.

Basurin noted that checkpoint restrictions mostly affect pensioners who cannot receive their social payments if crossing is prohibited. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid and medicine are also banned from entering DPR. "We call on international humanitarian organizations to pay attention to the instances of genocide and properly react to them," the DPR defense ministry spokesman added.

Ukraine said it will close checkpoints to DPR territory in reaction to growing number of prevocational shellings by the self-proclaimed republics’ forces. The checkpoint Zaytsevo to the north of Gorlovka will be temporarily closed starting from February 3.