Ukraine will pay with its independence if it doesn’t stop importing coal from occupied territories and Russia, chief blockade coordinator Anatoliy Vynohrodsky says.
The activists behind the Donbas coal blockade have vowed to extend their blockade to Russian imports, and not only coal from the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk territories.
It follows comments from Ukraine’s Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, who said blockage of coal from occupied territories was forcing companies to purchase its supplies from Russia.
Speaking on TV channel Inter on March 3, he claimed that Ukraine stands to lose around $3.5 billion and up to 75,000 jobs as a result of the blockade.
“What is happening with the blockade is in the interest of the Russian Federation. We’re talking about the fact that our coal… from which Ukraine’s taxes are paid, should be banned and purchased in Russia. This is sabotage against our nation.”
But Vynohrodsky told the Kyiv Post that if Ukraine continued to purchase coal from the occupied territories, it would pay a much higher price.
“We’re talking about economic benefits, economic safety – but for some reason we’re not talking about the fact that we are at war for Ukraine’s independence, for the freedom of the Ukrainian people,” he said.
“If we buy coal from the aggressors, that will cost Ukraine its independence.”
Interfax reported in February that the blockaders planned to obstruct all railways to Russia as part of their plan to halt all trade with the country.
Vynohrodsky said they would block the railways and then obstruct the roadways “when we’re ready.”
“We’re planning to completely block off the border to the aggressor,” he said.
Vynohrodsky said the railways would be obstructed first because they are used to transport 10 times more cargo than roads.
Activists started barricading railways lines to the occupied territories in late January. The move has prompted backlash from both Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatist leaders.
According to separatist news agency DAN, DPR head Alexander Zakharchenko on March 3 declared they would be severing all economic ties with Ukraine.
“We don’t need Ukraine for survival or for normal life,” he said.
“They can block whatever they want: roads, railroads, they can mine fields. This is the most they can do. They learnt to jump on Maidan in 2014, so now they should learn to live without power, heating, food, salaries and pensions.”
On March 1 pro-Russian separatists took over more than 40 Ukrainian enterprises located in the occupied territories.
According to DAN, Zakharchenko and LPR Head Igor Plotnitskiy threatened to overtake the companies and halt coal supplies to Ukraine if the blockade did not cease by March 1.
Meanwhile, state railway network operator Ukrzaliznytsia reported that a locomotive with 57 empty wagons, which was blocked from entering occupied territory by activists on Jan. 25 and detained since, is once again on the move.
The train arrived at Svetlanov station on March 4 and continued running to Nirkove.
