Russian-backed leaders of the so-called ”LPR/DPR” (the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People`s Republics) demand that the Ukrainian authorities stop by early March the transport blockade of the occupied areas of Donbas.
Otherwise, the terrorists threaten to introduce external management at the enterprises under Ukrainian jurisdiction (mainly owned by Akhmetov) and halt coal supplies to Ukraine, according to one of the militants` websites.
”If the blockade is not be lifted before 00:00 on Wednesday (March 1, 2017), we will introduce external management at all enterprises under Ukrainian jurisdiction, operating in the `DPR` and `LPR.` We will stop supplying coal to Ukraine,” militants said in a statement.
Earlier, in late January a group of Donbas war veterans and some Members of Parliament initiated a blockade of rail tracks used to transport anthracite coal from the temporarily uncontrolled areas to Ukraine`s thermal power stations.
The Ukrainian government reported the supplies stalled on February 10, 2017, posing a threat to smooth energy supplies to certain industries, including metallurgy, as well as to consumers in at least nine regions in Ukraine, where anthracite is used to generate heat and electricity for households.
