Donetsk residents cannot heat the homes amid the winter because of ongoing combat operations, UN Secretary General’s Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Friday.
“As temperatures continue to drop in Ukraine, heating has, as mentioned, become a major issue in the Donetsk region,” he said.
The UN Secretary General’s Spokesperson added: “On the Russian-controlled side, including the city of Donetsk itself, families cannot heat their homes as the centralized heating system is not operational. Piped water is also limited to a few days per week for a few hours.
“Our humanitarian colleagues note that on the Ukrainian-controlled side, most people who stayed in the front-line cities are elderly, mainly older women, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
“Making sure they are protected and have access to heating during the winter can be a matter of survival for them.”
He noted that combat operations continue near Donetsk but did not say who is shelling the city.
According to earlier reports, Donetsk’s central districts have been shelled from Grad multiple rocket launchers throughout the day. Three civilians have been killed.
