KIEV, March 10 (Xinhua) -- The activists, who are blocking the railway line in eastern Ukraine, warned on Friday they would disrupt train movements between Ukraine and Russia if Kiev does not "revise its trade ties" with Moscow.
"Starting from April 2, our observation units, which will be set up on all major railway crossings with Russia, will begin an active phase of the blockade," Anatoliy Vinogrodsky, one of the activist commanders, told a press conference in Kiev.
In the first instance, the activists will block movements of trains transporting coal from Russia, Vinogrodsky said, adding that the government has to sign contracts on coal supplies from other countries before April 2 to avoid the blockade.
There was no immediate reaction from the Ukrainian government on the ultimatum.
On late January, a group of activists has blocked the movements of trains, transporting coal and other raw products from the non-government controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.
The blockade has led to anthracite coal shortages in Ukraine, resulting in an energy crisis in the East European country and forcing the government to double coal purchases from overseas.
According to the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, Russia was the leading exporter of coal to Ukraine in the first two months of this year, covering 69.1 percent of the total supplies.
