Donetsk, Oct 28  - DAN. The Donetsk People’s Republic insists on allowing humanitarian organizations to enter Staromaryevka which is occupied by Ukrainian troops, the DPR Office at the Joint Centre for Control and Coordination (JCCC) said on Thursday.

“Yesterday, we notified Ukraine at the JCCC that we had asked neutral international humanitarian organizations to provide assistance,” the DPR Office said. “Some of these missions have already given positive answers that they had the opportunity to visit Staromaryevka and help its residents under OSCE SMM monitoring.”

The DPR Office has provided additional security guarantees for the operation of humanitarian organizations in this settlement, and expects Ukraine to act likewise, it added.

“We hope that the Ukrainian leadership will return onto the diplomatic track and stop the policy of terror and infringement upon the rights and freedoms of civilians, and that it will let humanitarian assistance be provided to the population. It is time for the Ukrainian leadership to manifest its authority and stop the outrageous violations of not only Minsk package documents, but also all basic acts of international law,” the DPR Office said.

Earlier, DPR Head Denis Pushilin said that Ukrainian forces had occupied the Staromaryevka settlement located in the “gray zone” on the contact line between the Republic and Ukraine-controlled areas.*jk