In an exclusive interview with a correspondent of the DPR Official Website, People’s Council deputy Elena Shishkina commented on Ukraine’s refusal to pay pensions and social benefits to the citizens of the Donetsk People’s Republic.

“The Constitution and the law on pension provide for the payment of pensions and other social benefits to the citizens from the state. All the social payments must be carried out on a monthly basis and regularly. Therefore, Ukraine’s refusal to pay pensions and social benefits is the violation of domestic laws of the country, rules of international law and is an act of genocide against the people of Donbass,” Elena Shishkina commented.

The deputy noted that over these five years, Ukraine had been systematically implementing the plan of deportation and extermination of the people of Donbass.

“Ukraine regularly ignores its commitments on social payments to the citizens of the DPR and the LPR. In addition, over 10,000 lawsuits filed with the courts of Ukraine by lawyers and DPR People’s Council deputies in 2014 to restore financial rights of the citizens of the Republic have been denied,” Elena Shishkina said.

She also stressed that the Republic is actively working to restore the rights of the citizens of the Donetsk People’s Republic. In particular, lawsuits are filed with the European Court of Human Rights to collect pension and social payments from the Ukrainian state.