You're reading: Ukrzaliznytsia says claims of Donbas blockade participants about arms transportation are untrue

Information that representatives of the Blockade of Donbas action had revealed weapons and ammunition in wagons of a train under construction materials spread in mass media and social networks is untrue. So are charges that the head of the Bakhmut railway station confirmed the reports, public joint-stock company Ukrzaliznytsia said.

According to its press release, law enforcement agencies did not record any fact of transporting weapons and ammunition by rail across the contact line. In addition, the head of the Bakhmut railway station did not provide this information to Ukrainian lawmakers and participants of the blockade.

“Blockade participants with several parliamentarians cause material damage, financial loss and reputation risks to the railway sector by their actions. A diesel locomotive and 57 empty freight wagons are blocked on the Shypilove-Svitlanove rail section (since Jan. 25) and a shunting diesel locomotive on one of the tracks of the Kurdiumivka-Bakhmut-2 rail section (since Feb. 2),” Ukrzaliznytsia said.

He said that each day of blocking the locomotives and wagons causes losses to the railway sector due to consumption of lubricants and fuel and the stoppage of transportation. The loss has reached Hr 8.4 million.

Ukrzaliznytsia urges to unblock train movement at the two rail sections in Donbas and refund the loss by guilty persons.

The company recalls that freight are transported across the contact line by rail in line with the temporary rules of monitoring the movement of persons, vehicles and freights (goods) across the contact line in Luhansk and Donetsk regions approved by the Ukraine military chief on the territory of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Permits to cross the line and transport cargo across the contact line are checked by the coordination center. It consists of representatives of the State Fiscal Service, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, Ukrainian Armed Forces, National Police and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).