Luhansk region military-civilian administration head Hryhoriy Tuka has called against the trade and economic siege of Donbas territories uncontrolled by Kyiv.

"I have realized that relations with the occupied territories should not be severed because this will have catastrophic consequences for the entire region," Tuka said in an interview with Golos Ukrainy, answering a question about issues on which his opinion had drastically changed.

He cited an example of the Luhansk thermal power plant which supplies electricity to the entire region, both to Kyiv-controlled territories and the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic. The station runs on anthracite coal mined in the LPR. "The thermal power plant will shut down unless coal is supplied and the Luhansk region will be plunged into darkness," Tuka said.

He said the siege of the LPR had been partially lifted and humanitarian logistics centers were being created along the contact line for local residents to procure food, medicines and essential commodities.