Railways blockage in Donbas signals numerous law violations, incurs damages for Ukraine
Blockages by activists and parliament lawmakers of railway lines used for transporting cargo to and from areas of occupied areas in Ukraine via several checkpoints may be construed as illegal acts, which incur losses to the state and create preconditions for the collapse of the nation's heat-generating system," Ukraine's SBU State Security has announced.
According to the SBU statement released on Monday, the blockages may be prosecutable under Articles 278 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (commandeering or seizing railways, aviation, naval or river transport infrastructure), Article 279 (blocking transportation lines, as well as seizing transportation enterprises) and Article 280 (preventing transportation workers from conducting their duties).
In addition, the statement says the acts "create preconditions for the interrupting the functioning of Ukraine's energy-generating system, which could lead to power outages.
The SBU statement also said blockages have caused damages to the state. From January 25, 2017 there were 385 railway wagons with 26,900 tones of coal worth UAH 35 million, more than 20,000 empty wagons, as well as property belonging to Ukraine's state-owned railways Ukrzaliznytsia.
According to the SBU, railways blockages in Donbas "will lead to an increase of citizens, who will lose their jobs, some 150,000 people, who, as a result, may join combined Russia-separatist military formations in the occupied territories. The statement said the SBU condemns the populist acts of politicians involved in the shenanigans, ruling out SBU complicity in the actions.
Temporary measures for controlling the movement of transportation equipment and shipments across the military line of demarcation separating areas under control of Kyiv and militant groups is being carried out through designated control check points, the statement said.
"Granting of the requisite approval to commercial entities conducting shipments is the mandate of the Coordination Center, manned by representatives of several agencies, including the SBU, following authorization by the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine," the statement said.
