Photo from UNIAN
From July 1, Kyiv plans to stop completely all railway passenger traffic with the Russian Federation, according to Kommersant, referring to several informed sources in the Ukrainian capital.
Cargo transportation was canceled last week by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) along with the introduction of sanctions against Russian legal entities and individuals, as well as the blocking of Russian social networks and email services.
"Ukraine is preparing to terminate railway passenger traffic with Russia around July 1," the source told Kommersant.
Read alsoUkrainian Railways plans five-year investment program – mediaAccording to the source, the pretext for the move will be the unwillingness of the Russian Railways (RZhD) "to stop passenger transportation to Russia from the ATO zone and, in particular, from Donetsk, which violates the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine."
Ukrainian Railways, Ukrzaliznytsia, has neither confirmed nor denied to Kommersant the preparation of the corresponding decision, stating that "no decision on this matter has been adopted so far."
RZhD said that they did not receive from Ukraine any documents on the termination of passenger traffic from Russia.
As UNIAN reported, September 25, 2015 the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in accordance with the decision of the National Security and Defense Council adopted the ban on flights by Russia-based air carriers. The ban went effective October 25. The decision was a result of repeated violations by Russian air carriers of a restriction on flights to the occupied Crimea.
Also on November 26, 2015, the ban came into effect on transit flights for all Russian airlines through the territory of Ukraine, introduced by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine within the framework of sanctions against the aggressor state.
On May 18, 2017, Ukrzaliznytsia imposed a ban on railway cargo transportation, including the transit through the territory of Ukraine of railcars of a number of Russian railway operators.