The blockade of railroad transportation with the regions of Donbas uncontrolled by Kyiv may lead to a halt of the country's metallurgical industry, Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman has said.

"The blockade [...] will lead to a halt of the country's metallurgical enterprises. The metallurgical industry now employs 300,000 people. What we sell abroad makes up 20% of all of our state's foreign currency earnings. It cannot be called anything but sabotage of the economy!" Groysman said in opening an extraordinary government meeting on Wednesday.

The prime minister urged the blockade activists to unblock the passage of trains carrying commodities that are vital to the national economy.

"I am calling on those who are blocking [the traffic] to unblock the delivery of only coal and whatever else related to the Ukrainian economy. You are welcome to block anything else and fight smuggling!" Groysman said.