Donetsk, Mar 27 - DAN. Ukrainian authorities answer Donbass humanitarian program with increased pressure on the residents of the region, said DPR envoy to Minsk negotiations Denis Pushilin.

"We assure our humanitarian program works successfully and confuses our opponents. We are talking about medical aid, providing education to the residents of Kiev-controlled Donbass, while Ukraine tightens the rules of crossing the contact line and continuous to push Donbass away from its boundaries."

On February 17 DPR and LPR Heads Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitskiy launched the program of humanitarian assistance for residents of Kiev-occupied part of Donbass. The main objective is to provide financial, educational and medical aid to vulnerable social groups.

On March 15 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 at 1 p.m. Kiev time (2 p.m. Donetsk time) on March 15 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.*ot