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Kiev threatens to cut off water supply to LPR from December 1

Around 600,000 of the local residents may have their water supply cut off

KIEV, November 23. /TASS/. Kiev will off water supply to the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) from December 1 if no payment is received, Ukraine's Deputy Minister for Occupied Territories Georgy Tuka announced on Wednesday.

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"The current agreement expires on December 1, after that Ukraine will have no other choice but to cut off water supply," Tuka wrote on his Facebook page. According to him, LPR’s debt to the Popacnensky water facility amount to 121 mln hryvnias (roughly $ 4.7 mln).

In early October, water pumping stations located on the Lugansk region territory controlled by the Ukrainian government, suspended water supplly to the LPR over unpaid bills. The International Committee of the Red Cross paid the October and November bills but said that it would not pay any bills after December 1.

As a result, around 600,000 of the local residents may have their water supply cut off. The International Committee of the Red Cross has called upon the Contact Group on Ukraine to help solve this issue. In order to do that, the bills for electricity provided to the water pumping stations need to be paid.

Cutting off water supplies in winter will damage the entire heating system, the ICRC noted.

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