Hundred people gathered in line near the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint that was closed until October 31 due to the quarantine. They cannot return home in occupied territory as Hromadske radio reported.
People who visited the controlled territory for pension or visited relatives watch near the checkpoint since morning.
“On October 13, we arrived with my wife. We got the message that our cards are ready. Our cards expired. We went. Yesterday, was a holiday, a public holiday at the bank. Today we got them but the checkpoint is closed and we do not know who to enter Luhansk,” 83-year-old Mykola Ivanovytch said.
He and many other people, who gathered there, want to return home but the border guards stated that it is impossible until the end of this month.
Spokesperson of Luhansk border guard unit Nelya Dotsenko explained that the admission of the people at Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint was stopped due to the spread of coronavirus. According to the decision of the commander of the Joint Forces Operation, it will be possible to cross the demarcation line only the next month. The main condition for crossing of the demarcation line is the presence of the documents that confirm social and humanitarian nature of the visit.
Deputy Chairman of Stanytsia Luhanska Regional State Administration Iryna Kostan stated that the local authorities do not plan to settle people who stuck at the closed checkpoint as the settlement is at the orange zone.
“As for today, over 40 people are infected with Covid-19 in the territory of Stanytsia Luhanska. In other words, we will not endanger our citizens and citizens of temporarily occupied territories,” the official noted.
As we reported, Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint in Donbas will be closed for quarantine until October 31. The HQ noted that this decision was made to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in the territory of Luhansk region.