As Ukraine's move to restrict trade with Russian-occupied Crimea comes into force on Jan.17, activists who blockaded the peninsula say they will shift to monitoring compliance.
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the resolution on official trade blockade with Crimea, annexed by Russia in March 2014, on Dec. 16, taking effect a month later.
After the decision was announced, activists from a mixed group of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian nationalists removed their roadblocks blocking land transport since land transport since Sept. 20.
The former leader of the Crimean Tatar community, Mustafa Dzhemilev, said on his Facebook page on Jan. 16 that most blockade activists are leaving, although some of them will stay at each checkpoint as observers to control the implementation of the Cabinet’s resolution.
Refat Chubarov, chairman of the World Congress of Crimean Tatar People, speaking with activists on Jan.16 at the checkpoint between Ukraine and Crimea, in Chongar, told them of the change in focus.
According to the Cabinet’s resolution, the blockade will be effective “through the period of the temporary occupation.”
The blockade does not apply for private luggage, as well as for the socially important food products, if their cost doesn’t exceed $410 and weight is less than 50 kilograms per person.
Moreover, the person carrying food products is not allowed to cross the border more than once per day.
Neither does the resolution apply for electricity and humanitarian aid.
Earlier activists said they believed that preventing food and other supplies from entering the peninsula would force Russia to fulfil their demands, including the release of Ukrainian political prisoners and ensuring human rights in Crimea.
Crimea residents have been suffering from major blackouts since Nov.21, when unknown activists blew up power pylons in Ukraine’s Kherson Oblast, close to the Crimean border.
Power was briefly restored to fulfill requirements through a combination of Russian and Ukrainian supply lines. But a further pylon on Ukrainian territory was sabotaged on Dec. 30.
