Pushilin: Kiev's decision to impose full transport blockade on Donbass completely at odds with Minsk-2

Donetsk, Mar 15 - DAN. The decision of National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (SNBO) to block all the crossing points in Donbass, initiated by Ukraine's president Petr Poroshenko, is completely at odds with the Minsk Agreements, said DPR envoy to Minsk negotiations Denis Pushilin.

"This is not only a direct violation of the Minsk Agreements, this is the highest-level legalization of radicals' actions. These are no longer disorganized fringe action, but the government-approved policy approaching a genocide of 14 mln people living in the Republics," he said in a commentary sent to DAN.

Earlier today Poroshenko's website published a statement suggesting that National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine imposes full transport blockade on DPR and LPR in effect until Republican authorities lift the receivership introduced on Ukrainian enterprises in Donbass.

The SNBO's secretary Alexander Turchinov said that all the roads connecting Donbass and Ukraine shall be blocked today at 1 p.m. Kiev time (2 p.m. Donetsk time) by police and National Guard.

The new round of economic blockade of Donbass started in January 2017. Former participants of the offensive blocked railroad between Gorskoye and Zolotoye (LPR territory). The radicals said the aim was to interrupt trade with LPR. Later they blocked Svetlanovo station in vicinity of Pervomaisk, the railroad tracks in the area of occupied Artyemovsk (DPR) and Yasinovataya-Skotovataya stretch.

Ukrainian Rada extremists supported the “trade blockade”, while radicals said the drive shall be permanent.

On 16 December, Ukraine National Security and Defence Council Secretary Alexander Turchinov called for tougher economic blockade against the Donbass Republics. Turchinov, a key figure behind Donbass bloodbath, believes that the ban on movements of goods and cargoes to LPR and DPR will enable Kiev to faster “liberate” the territories it does not control.

On November 15 2014, Ukrainian President Petr Poroshenko signed the decree halting the payment of pensions and allowances in the conflict zone.*ot