Donetsk, Mar 14 – DAN. Some 450 residents of Kiev-controlled areas in the Donetsk People’s Republic and several Ukrainian regions requested consultations on the website of the Donbass people reunification programme Centre, DPR Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

“Some 450 requests have been processed since the website and feed back were launched, with the bulk of questions concerning lumpsum payments to Great Patriotic War (the term is used to describe the conflict fought during the period from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945 along the many fronts of World War II between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany and its allies – eds DAN) veterans, medical assistance and DPR college enrolment terms. Ukrainian residents were interested in obtaining DPR citizenship,” the Ministry said.

Diplomats noted an increasing number of calls to the humanitarian programme hotline (+38(063) 869-98-88, +38(066)584-85-48) following DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko’s approval of payment s to Great Patriotic War veterans. Callers also thanked DPR leaders for support and care.

Earlier, acting DPR Foreign Minister Natalia Nikonorova told DAN that the DPR and LPR-implemented Donbass reunification programme aroused interest among residents of Kiev-controlled part of the region and Kharkov, Ternopol and Odessa regions of Ukraine.

On 17 February 2017 DPR and LPR Heads Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy launched the programme of humanitarian assistance for residents of Kiev-controlled part of Donbass. The key objective of the program is to provide financial, medical and educational assistance to socially vulnerable groups.*jk