REUTERS
To date, Ukrainian authorities cannot do without coal supplies from the occupied Donbas, Head of the SBU Security Service of Ukraine Vasyl Hrytsak told a Kyiv briefing Thursday, Espreso.tv reports.
"There are things that are vital to our economy. Our economy badly needs coal. The SBU does not regulate who, and in what volumes, supplies coal to the government-controlled territory. But we won’t do without this coal, as far as I know from Environment Ministry officials," said Hrytsak, according to Espreso.tv.
Read alsoCoal production in Ukraine rises by 2.8% to 40.86 mln tonnesAccording to the SBU chief, since the beginning of war, the process of transportation of goods across the contact line, including coal, was controlled by the SBU. Later, the creation of an interdepartmental group has been initiated, aiming to reduce corruption risks in the process.
Read alsoKubiv: Donbas militants have no access to Ukrainian budget funds for coal purchaseHrytsak said that at the moment, the decision has been called back and the movement of goods across the line of contact is now controlled by the State Fiscal Service, while the role of the SBU is to monitor the activities of SFS officials.
Read alsoDeputy Minister comments on "blockade" of "LPR-DPR" by non-government actorsAs UNIAN reported earlier, an initiative group of ATO veterans said they planned to block another railway line within their so-called "trade blockade of the occupied regions of Donbas."
On January 25, the ATO veterans began the third stage of the trade blockade, having blocked the Luhansk – Popasna road.