MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia is preparing another humanitarian aid convoy for Donetsk region, will help the families of the workers killed in the Wednesday explosion at the Zasyadko coal mine, Emergencies Ministry said Friday.
"To implement the instruction by the President of Russian Federation, the Russian Emergencies Ministry will provide the families of the miners and the people of Donetsk with targeted aid. Russian Emergencies Ministry is sending its representatives to Donetsk, to provide the families of the victims with targeted help and to take part in mourning ceremonies," Ministry spokesman Alexander Drobyshevsky said Friday
A total of 33 miners were killed in a methane explosion on Wednesday morning in Zasyadko coal mine in the Donetsk Region in eastern Ukraine.
Since August 2014, Russia has sent over 20,000 tons of food, water, clothes, medicine, power generators and building materials to Donetsk and Luhansk. The regions have been suffering from a severe humanitarian crisis since Kiev launched a military operation against local independence supporters in April, 2014.
The ongoing conflict also made the work at local coal mines even more dangerous: since the beginning of 2015, the Zasyadko mine has been evacuated at least five times due to shelling.
Soon after the tragedy, Russian Emergencies Ministry offered help to Ukraine in conducting search and rescue work at the Zasyadko mine.
