Militants block the opening of "Zolote" checkpoint in the Donbass, complicating the humanitarian situation – the ATO Headquarters

The militants block the opening of "Zolote" checkpoint in the Donbass, complicating the humanitarian situation. This is reported by the press centre of the ATO Headquarters.

During his next visit to the Donbass, which will last until August 11, the first deputy chairman of the OSCE SMM in Ukraine Alexander Hug noted that it is necessary to open a full-fledged entry-exit checkpoint for moving of people and cars across the contact line in the Luhansk direction.

As of today, there is only one pedestrian "Stanytsia Luhanska" checkpoint on the bridge over the Siverskyi Donets River for the communication between the controlled by Ukrainian government and the occupied parts of the Luhansk oblast. Alexander Hug personally walked through it with his luggage in the 35-degree heat and made sure that the bridge has been in need of repair for a long time, and the overpass itself is quite difficult under the adverse climatic conditions.

"The Ukrainian party fully supports the need to positively resolve the issue of opening of almost completely ready for operation "Zolote" checkpoint near Popasna city, what will allow to redistribute part of the passenger traffic and will greatly relieve "Stanytsia Luhanska" checkpoint, thus significantly improving the humanitarian situation in the region. Moreover, the opening of "Zolote" checkpoint will allow for a qualitative repair of the bridge on "Stanytsia Luhanska" checkpoint, the technical condition of which threatens the safe movement of civilians", - the report said.

The Ukrainian party of the JCCC had repeatedly appealed to the Russian party for help in the opening of "Zolote", but there is still no reaction from the militants.

It was reported earlier that Ukrainian party had tried to open a checkpoint in Zolote on March 31, 2016. However, immediately after the beginning of the functioning of this road corridor and the crossing of the line of demarcation by citizens, it developed that representatives of the illegal armed formations are not going to let vehicles and pedestrians through their checkpoint, which is located at a distance of up to 1.5 km from "Zolote" checkpoint. Later on, representatives of the illegal armed formations constantly ignored all decisions of the Tripartite Contact Group in Minsk on the opening of "Zolote" checkpoint.