Media: Ukrainian factories 'nationalized' by separatists grind to a halt
The day before the “nationalization” announced by the separatists, and also thereafter, a number of production facilities have ground to a halt in the separatist-held Donbas territories.
According to the Russian paper “Kommersant”, the Yenakiieve Metallurgical Plant, Donetsk Metallurgical Plant, and Yasinovsky Coke Plant in Makiivka have stopped operating.
“The last payment was at the start of February, and now production is frozen. On March 1 the plant was blocked by people with automatics. All control systems have stopped,” the Yenakiieve Metallurgical Plant told the publication.
The situation is similar at the Donetsk Metallurgical Plant, which stopped on February 27. Its ceasing of production impacted the Yanekiieve Coke Plant. “Coke used to go to the Donetsk Metallurgical Plant warehouses, before it stopped, now they have even sent employees home in Makiivka,” the publication reported, citing the Donetsk entrepreneur Mansur Nathoyev.
Residents of Donetsk are writing on social networks that the “nationalization” has even effected the “Donbass Palace” hotel. At first, the building flew the flag of the DPR, and subsequently coffee machines and bar equipment have been taken from the hotel.
More than 30 major factories remain in the separatist territories. In 2015, the National Bank of Ukraine estimated that the contribution of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions to Ukraine’s GDP has decreased from 14,9% to 5,6% due to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.