Plenipotentiary envoy of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) at the talks in Minsk Denis Pushilin said Wednesday that the introduction by Kiev of a complete transport blockade of Donbass was a direct violation of the Minsk agreements.
Authorities in the Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics took over control of all Ukrainian enterprises in Donbas earlier this year after Ukrainian military vets and lawmakers blocked freight rail traffic from eastern territories. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko responded on Tuesday by suggesting that all traffic to and from militia-held areas be halted.
“This is not only a direct violation of the Minsk agreements, but legalization at the highest state level of radicals’ actions,” Pushilin said as quoted by his press service.
The blockade targets primarily anthracite coal shipments from Donbas, described as smuggling by those in favor of the trade freeze. The move has led to power shortages in mainland Ukraine and raised concerns in Moscow and Berlin, which are part of the Ukrainian settlement process.