Ukraine announces economic blockade of rebel-held territory

Ukraine on Wednesday announced a transport blockade of rebel-held areas that is likely to cause serious economic disruption and could threaten a precarious cease-fire in the east of the country.

“It will be in place until the occupiers return stolen Ukrainian industry to Ukrainian jurisdiction,” Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told the country’s national security council in Kyiv.

The move represents a dramatic U-turn by Poroshenko, who had previously tried to end a transport blockade on the rebel east imposed by nationalist groups. It shows the government’s vulnerability to radical forces, which have increasingly shaped the nation’s policy agenda.

Many economic links have been preserved between separatist-controlled areas that are dominated by heavy industry, particularly coal mining and metallurgy, and governmentheld Ukraine despite a threeyear conflict.

But the new measures appeared to amount to a fullblown trade ban.

All rail and road connections with the rebel-controlled mini-states will be cut from Wednesday, National Security and Defence Council head Oleksander Turchynov told reporters, the Tass news agency reported. The only exception to the new blockade will be for humanitarian deliveries by Ukrainian organizations, the United Nations and the Red Cross.

Poroshenko had previously criticized blockades on rebelheld areas imposed by nationalist activists, arguing that they hurt ordinary Ukrainians and drive residents of the east to join the rebel ranks.