Donetsk, Aug 29 - DAN. United Donbass Foundation has paid some 8.5 million rubles worth of financial aid to Donetsk Region residents, Foundation chairman Oleg Balykin told a news briefing at Donetsk News Agency on Tuesday.

“As of 29 August 2017, United Donbass Foundation had paid a total of 8,495,540 rubles to 277 of the 441 applicants whose requests for help had been granted,” Balykin said.

Some 4.4 million rubles were paid to 134 recipients living in Kiev-controlled territory of Donetsk Region, and the remaining money was allotted to 143 DPR residents. The Foundation’s Commission approved 146 requests for lumpsum payments worth over four million rubles in total at its 9th meeting on 25 August.

The Commission plans to review some 500 applications at the next session on 8 September.

DPR launched United Donbass Foundation on 9 March 2017 as part of the Donbass people reunification programme approved by DPR and LPR heads Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy on 17 February 2017. The programme envisions cash payments and provision of food and medications which can also be contributed by DPR residents. Nine groups of citizens are eligible for assistance. *jk