MOSCOW. Aug 12 (Interfax) - First Deputy Prime Minister of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) Andrei Purgin hopes for the soonest possible delivery of Russian humanitarian aid to people in the conflict-ridden regions.
"It is a matter of common knowledge that the humanitarian aid sent is for Luhansk. But the route is such that even if it goes through the Donetsk region the humanitarian aid will pass by the territories we control, this detour is about 150 kilometers long. Clearly, Luhansk needs this relief more because their situation is catastrophic. Our situation is a bit better but it should still be called a humanitarian catastrophe," Purgin told Interfax on Tuesday.
He expects the next humanitarian convoy will go to Donetsk. "We need humanitarian aid very much. The situation we have found ourselves in because of the actions of the Ukrainian army, the absence of tap water and electricity in many districts, is extremely difficult. Hopefully, humanitarian aid will reach us soon," Purgin said.
"The Ukrainian side will do its best to delay the delivery of humanitarian aid to Luhansk," the DPR co-leader opined. "The humanitarian convoy was supposed to have reached Luhansk on Monday. It is Tuesday already. And it is by no means certain that it [the aid] will arrive on Wednesday. The Ukrainian side is stalling for time. They have intentionally chosen a route which would slow down the delivery of humanitarian aid as much as possible. We are not sure it will reach Luhansk at all; it may still be captured at a roadblock," he noted.