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The large privately owned energy generating company Donbasenergo says it has lost control of its Starobeshivska thermal power plant (TPP) and other assets in occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions from March 21, 2017.
"Donbasenergo announces that since March 21, 2017, it has not been controlling the operation of Starobeshivska TPP, as well as its structural units located in the temporarily uncontrolled territory ... The company has officially notified the Ukrainian authorities that it has lost control over Starobeshivska TPP's management, adding it will take measures to protect the rights and legitimate interests of Donbasenergo," the company's press service said.
As reported, Donbasenergo until recently managed to ensure the operation of Starobeshivska TPP in strict accordance with the current Ukrainian legislation.
Read alsoAkhmetov's DTEK announces loss of control over mines and companies in Donbas"On March 15, DTEK officially announced the loss of control over enterprises located on the temporarily uncontrolled territory, including DTEK Donetskoblenergo, DTEK High Voltage Networks, DTEK PES-Energovuhillia, with which Donbasenergo concluded contracts for the sale of electric energy," the press service said, adding that after that the company actually lost the opportunity to sell electricity.
"The impossibility of supplying electricity to DTEK Group companies and the providing logistic support for Starobeshivska TPP, as well as the inadmissibility of any actions contrary to the legislation of Ukraine, caused the actual loss of control over Starobeshivska TPP's management," the press service said.
Read alsoActivists picket Akhmetov's residence in London (photo, video)It also noted that all the structural units of Donbasenergo had been re-registered in the controlled territory of Ukraine since 2014. The company's tax and other mandatory payments exceeded UAH 1.8 billion based in the results of 2014-2016. Furthermore, 2,340 people work at Starobeshivska TPP.
As UNIAN reported, in late January 2017, a group of Donbas war veterans and some Members of Parliament initiated a blockade of rail tracks in ATO zone. President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman criticized such actions.
On March 1, the Cabinet introduced rules for transportation of goods through the contact line to settle the situation: only humanitarian freight, as well as goods required to ensure operations of the ore-mining and processing sector, metallurgy, coal production, and the energy sector were allowed for crossing the contact line in the ATO zone.
On March 14, Poroshenko said that a number of Ukrainian enterprises in the occupied areas had been illegally seized by the so-called authorities of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics. In his words, Ukraine cannot have any economic ties with these entities until control of them is retaken.
The National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine at a meeting on March 15 decided to temporarily ban movement of goods through the contact line in the ATO zone. On the same day, DTEK and Metinvest, which are part of Rinat Akhmetov's SCM Group, announced they had lost control over their assets in the ATO zone.