Donetsk, Feb 9 - DAN. The average retirement benefit in the Donetsk People’s Republic after the pension rise in January has exceeded 8,600 rubles, the DPR Labour and Social Policy Ministry told the Donetsk News Agency on Tuesday.

Under DPR leader Denis Pushilin’s decree, pensions for all groups of citizens increased by 17 percent starting January 1, 2021.

“As a result, the minimum pension currently amounts to 5,616 rubles, up 806 rubles from December 2020,” the Ministry said. “The average pension amounts to 8,669.84 rubles, up 1,220.80 rubles from December 2020.”

Pensions increased in January 2021 for 653,400 DPR residents, the Ministry said. It did not specify the total payout amount.

Previously, the DPR increased pensions six times. Over the past four years, the average pension has more than doubled. In January 2017, it amounted to 3,997.84 rubles. The next pension increase is due on July 1, 2021.

The DPR leader earlier announced plans to bring wages and pensions in the Republic to the level of Russia’s Rostov region by 2022.*jk