Interfax: Luhansk authorities ask Ukrainian “guerrillas” not to blow up coal trains

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KYIV. Jan 23 (Interfax) – Head of the Luhansk region state administration Hennadiy Moskal has asked the so-called “guerrillas” who blew up a coal train at the Krasna Mohyla station not to stage acts of sabotage on the Kyiv-controlled part of the Luhansk region.

“A lion’s share of electric power for populated localities on our territory is generated by the Shchastya thermal power plant which runs on “A” type coal. There is no coal of this type on the territory controlled by Ukraine, it is mined in Rovenki and Sverdlovsk (under control of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic). Rovenkiantratsit and Sverdlovskantratsit mines and the Shchastya power plant belong to DTEK and are registered on the Ukraine-controlled territory,” Moskal said.

“A” type coal is transported from Rovenki and Sverdlovsk by rail via Russia’s Rukovo station and reaches the Ukraine-controlled part of the Luhansk region and the Shchastya power plant through the Lantranovka station, he continued.

“There is no other cargo traffic along that route; Rovenki and Sverdlovsk coal is not unloaded in Russia because Russia has a surplus of its own “A” type coal mined in open pits. So, the blowing up of the coal train routed to the Shchastya power plant is a direct act of sabotage against the Ukraine-controlled part of the Luhansk region,” he said.

If the power plant comes to a halt because of the absence of coal, practically the entire territory of the Luhansk region controlled by Ukraine will have a power outage and “the so-called guerrilla demolition men will bear the responsibility for that,” the head of the Luhansk region state administration said.

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