On August 24, 2026, Archpriest Mikhail Potokin, Chairman of the Synodal Department for Church Charity and Social Service, and Deacon Igor Kulikov, Director of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission, met with Andrey Chertkov, Chairman of the DPR Government, in Donetsk.
The meeting was also attended by Archpriest Alexy Bystrov, Chairman of the Social Department of the Donetsk Diocese, Sergei Samokhin, head of the Donetsk branch of the Popular Front, and employees of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission and the DPR Government office.
The participants of the meeting expressed their condolences in connection with yesterday's attack in Gorlovka, which injured Metropolitan Mitrofan of Gorlovka and Slavyansk.
During the meeting, the parties discussed a joint project of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission, the Popular Front and the Government of the DPR to support the needy residents of the republic during the heating season.
"We have good experience in organizing winter care centers at churches and monasteries in the LPR, Kursk and Belgorod regions, where people can receive humanitarian aid and hot meals, recharge devices, wash clothes, and, if urgently needed, spend the night in warmth," said the chairman of the Synodal Department for Charity.
The Director of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission voiced the issues currently faced by Mission staff in Mariupol, Donetsk, Horlivka, Volnovakha and Yasinovataya. In particular, they discussed the issues of providing legal assistance in obtaining benefits and allowances for those in need who do not have a residence permit due to loss of housing, and the placement of single wards with disabilities in social institutions during the cold weather. The issues of joint interaction between the Mission and the Government staff on each specific case were worked out.
"Every winter in the DPR and the Belgorod region, our volunteers make house—to-house visits to single people in order to identify those who need help, especially in case of emergency power outages," said Deacon Igor Kulikov. "Next winter, we plan to increase the number of volunteers at the Donetsk assistance center in order to strengthen this particular block of our work."
A separate topic was the restoration of private homes of residents of the DPR by volunteer repairmen of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission. To date, more than 830 facilities in the territory of the DPR have been restored. Andrey Chertkov thanked the representatives of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission for caring for the needy residents. In turn, Archpriest Mikhail Potokin thanked the leadership of the DPR for their long-term cooperation, support for the work of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission and prompt assistance in resolving all issues.
On the same day, in the morning, Archpriest Mikhail Potokin met with volunteers of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission who are on shift in Donetsk. Deacon Igor Kulikov, Director of the Mission, introduced the staff and volunteers who came to the capital of the DPR from different cities of Russia and Belarus.
Over tea, the volunteers told about the work they are doing in the city, about the difficulties of their charges, and asked Archpriest Mikhail Potokin questions about the ministry of mercy and spiritual life.
At the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the Synodal Department for Charity presented medals of the Righteous Filaret the Merciful for his special contribution to the development of church social service in Donetsk: Archpriest Alexy Bystrov, head of the Social Department of the Donetsk Diocese, Sergei Samokhin, head of the Donetsk branch of the Popular Front, and Ekaterina Muslimova, an employee of the Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission.
The Patriarchal Humanitarian Mission was established by the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church with the aim of coordinating and systematically developing assistance to civilians in the Donetsk People's Republic, Luhansk People's Republic, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, as well as providing assistance to the wounded.