On the Day of Ukrainian Statehood, the Pokrovsk City Military Administration hosted guests — delegations from the Khust (Transcarpathian region) and Zhovkva (Lviv region) communities. Symbolically, this festive day became a new milestone in expanding partnerships within the national project "Shoulder to Shoulder: United Communities".
The purpose of the visit was not only the official signing of Memorandums of Cooperation but also the development of specific steps in the areas of reconstruction, humanitarian aid, support for internally displaced persons, social assistance, and cultural exchange.
The history of interaction between the communities began back in 2022. During the announced evacuation, it was the communities from western Ukraine that first opened their doors to the residents of Pokrovsk. Thus, in April 2022, 200 residents of the community were evacuated to the Zhovkva community. In August of the same year, a delegation from the Pokrovsk City Military Administration visited Khust to explore opportunities for accommodating IDPs. By February 2023, a humanitarian hub "Unity" was opened in Khust, where 954 displaced persons from Donetsk region are currently registered.
"The Pokrovsk community is already closely cooperating with the Ivano-Frankivsk and Sheptytsky communities. The involvement of new partners from Khust and Zhovkva will strengthen our common front of support, unity, and mutual assistance," noted the head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration, Serhiy Dobriak.
At the meeting, leaders from the educational, social, cultural, sports, and youth sectors of the Pokrovsk community presented their proposals, outlining promising topics for cooperation. Among them were: children's health improvement, rehabilitation of military personnel, exchanges for educators, support for the medical sector, and joint cultural and sports projects. Following the discussion, a roadmap for further actions was developed.
"Every community in Donetsk region participates in the project and already has several partners. Only in Transcarpathia, communities from Donetsk region have 11 partner communities. This project is about unification and support – assistance in the relocation of enterprises and the development of local businesses, settling in new places, supporting the social protection of lonely individuals, and creating educational spaces, as well as helping IDPs," emphasized the head of the Department for Interaction with Local Self-Government Bodies of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, Natalia Chukova.
Based on materials from the Pokrovsk City Military Administration