Hromadske travels to the epicenter of eastern Ukrainian blockade, organized by local paramilitary groups.
At first being illegal and condemded by both the government and foreign allies, the initiative was later partially supported by the authorities. According to the Ukrainian Central Bank, the ongoing disruption of economic ties between Ukraine and separatist-controlled territories will cost the country at least half of the economic growth rate, projected for 2017.
In December 2016, demobilized soldiers and veterans from the Donbas and Aidar volunteer battalions, threatened to block all railways leading into occupied areas of Ukraine if the authorities of the breakaway republics did not release 110 Ukrainian hostages. In late January of 2017, Ukrainian paramilitary with support from some members of the parliament, blocked the railway and road routes on the contact line. In response, leaders of the unrecognized ‘republics’ seized all the large companies that previously paid taxes to Ukraine. The latter in turn evoked a response from Ukrainian government – Kyiv officially decided to stop trade with enterprises located in the separatist-held territories. Instead of demobilized soldiers and veterans the blockade participants were replaced by the police and the National Guard.
