MOSCOW, February 22 Travel agents asked Rostourism not to charge travelers from Luhansk and Donetsk national republics for canceling trips, Natalia Osipova, executive director of the Alliance of Travel Agencies (ATA), told RIA Novosti. Russian tour operators — Note ed.) According to the law, if the cancellation was made at the initiative of the tourist not due to a confirmed illness, the operator has the right to return the money at the actual costs incurred. We ask that the money be returned to these people in full, «said Osipova. The head of the ATA noted that this initiative appeared after the travel agencies of Lugansk and Donetsk applied to the alliance. «We are in touch with them all the time. Our friendship has been going on for many years. We decided that this is how we can support these people. Someone buys and carries shoes, someone buys food, blankets, and we want to help in this way», she added. The situation in the Donbass has escalated in recent days, the DPR and LPR have announced a lot of shelling by the Ukrainian security forces. The leadership of the republics announced the temporary evacuation of citizens to the Rostov region. The head of the DPR, Denis Pushilin, said that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky may soon order the military to go on the offensive, to implement a plan to invade the DPR and LPR. On Saturday, February 19, the leaders of the DPR and LPR began a general mobilization, and then turned to Russia with a request to recognize the independence of the republics. On February 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the relevant decrees.
