Photo from UNIAN
Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman says that the blockade of coal supplies from the occupied areas in Donbas threatens the domestic metallurgy, and undermines national security, the economy and the implementation of social programs, according to the Ukrainian government's portal.
"The blockade is organized exclusively in the interests of the Russian Federation," he told journalists during his visit to the city of Vinnitsa.
"Today, we lose from UAH 2 billion to UAH 4 billion monthly. This is the cost of losses from the blockade," Groysman said.
Ukrainian mineral deposits, including those of coal, are now in territory that is temporarily not controlled by the Ukrainian government, he said.
In his words, Ukraine technologically needs anthracite coal. A third of Ukraine's electricity is generated with the use of coal: some from anthracite, which is not mined in the controlled area, and some from gas coal, which is produced in the controlled area.
Read alsoMagic coal mines and Russian vow of silenceIn addition, Groysman noted that anthracite coal is needed for Ukrainian metallurgy, which employs 300,000 people.
"This complex is important to Ukrainian goods exports and the influx of foreign currency into Ukraine. This maintains the balance of foreign and national currency," he added.
The prime minister noted that the enterprises that produced coal and components needed for metallurgy were operating in the uncontrolled areas, but all of them were registered in Ukraine and paid taxes to the Ukrainian budget.
"We took our Ukrainian coal and used it for Ukrainian metallurgy and the energy sector in Ukraine's interests. We had taxes paid to the Ukrainian budget from this and we financed all our needs from this. It is obvious that each Ukrainian will sustain losses from the blockade," Groysman stressed.
Read alsoPM Groysman says Ukraine needs transparent energy exchangeHe claims that except for coal from Donbas, Ukrainian enterprises can buy it from the United States or the Russian Federation only.
As UNIAN reported, in late January a group of Donbas war veterans and some Members of Parliament initiated a blockade of rail tracks used to transport anthracite coal from the temporarily uncontrolled areas to Ukraine's thermal power stations. The Ukrainian government reported the coal supplies stalled on February 10, 2017.
Participants in the blockade also declared their intentions to block all railway stations and highways along the contact line.
In addition, they announced plans to take all eight major border railway crossings, which are used to trade with Russia, under effective control of Ukraine within a month.
On March 5, the police initiated criminal proceedings on facts of blocking train traffic in the town of Konotop in Sumy region. The case was opened under Part 1 of Article 279 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (Blocking transport communications by placing obstacles preventing normal functioning of transport or creating danger to human life).
Later, the situation of the railway blockade in Konotop was settled, as the participants in the rally agreed not to obstruct the movement of trains.