The General Staff is taking measures to remove active ATO servicemen from the “trade-in-blood” blockade

The General Staff is taking measures to remove current ATO service members from the 'blood-for-trade blockade'.

The leadership of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is taking steps to prevent regular soldiers from taking part in a political action blocking railway tracks on which trade with the separatists of ORDLO is conducted. This was learned by Novynarnia from its sources in the general staff.

As Novynarnia reported, 8 in February, two dozen active ATO participants joined the veterans, public activists, and members of parliament at the so-called 'Zaporizhzhia redoubt,' which blocks a railway crossing in Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

Mykola Voroshnov “Canada” reads the address.

The soldiers issued a statement, which on behalf of his unit was read by a serviceman 16-th motorized infantry battalion 58 ombpbr Mykola Voroshnov, call sign “Canada.”

At the same time, in the video, the soldiers showed the small-arms and heavy infantry weapons they have, including mortars. According to their statements, the video was recorded at their permanent deployment site, before the trip to the 'Zaporizhzhia redoubt'.

Voroshnov stated that the soldiers took official leave from their unit to participate in the blockade and are in Bakhmut instead of resting at home with their families.

“Every hryvnia that goes in that direction returns to us with lead. Lead in bullets that fly at our guys,” Voroshnov explained the position of the current servicemen.

According to him, the push to join the 'blood-for-trade blockade' was sparked by police beating veterans near Chasiv Yar.

According to Novynarnia, the main directorate for personnel management of the General Staff of the AFU is deeply concerned about the participation of regular-service personnel in the protest action and is preparing appropriate measures. It speaks to the unacceptable participation of cadre servicemen in destructive political performances organized by certain politicians and that destabilize the situation in the hybrid war in favor of Russian aggressors.

As reported on Thursday, 9 February, one of the organizers and participants in the blockade, Taras Pastukh, a People's Deputy from Samopomich, had Voroshnov and other servicemen from the 16-th battalion 58-ombpbr urgently recalled from leave to the permanent deployment location.

“This morning, under orders from military leadership, the guys from the 16 battalion were urgently recalled from leave to their place of deployment. On the 5-th morning, a bus was sent for them, and the battalion commander was removed from his post,” Pastukh wrote on Facebook.

“These are government repressions against those who hinder billions in profits from the war!” Pastukh said.

“Every member of the people’s deputy should see this who has not yet decided whether to pass the law on temporarily occupied territories. Because it will stop trade with ORDLO! The fact that veterans and soldiers are blocking the railways today is the responsibility of the president, the government, and the parliament, which in the third year of war are not stopping this large-scale trade!” the deputy added, noting that “veterans continue the blockade and await support.”

The press service of the North Operational Command confirmed that the commander of the 16-th battalion 58-ombpbr was suspended, but the reason given was different. “He is suspended from duties for health reasons. This is not related to service or the blockade,” Vitaliy Kyrylov, the North OP spokesperson, told InfoResist.

A separate statement “in connection with the spreading by some people’s deputies of a video allegedly showing support by personnel of the 58-th separate mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces for the so-called ‘trading blockade of temporarily occupied territories’” was released by the brigade’s command.

“The brigade stresses that once again certain Ukrainian politicians and public figures are trying to involve Ukrainian servicemen in political games, exploiting the fighters’ patriotic sentiments. According to the command of the 58-th brigade, the subordinated units are not involved in the specified action. People shown in the video do not represent the Ukrainian Armed Forces; they are demonstrating their own position,” the statement from the command of the 58-ombpbr, posted on the General Staff’s Facebook page, said.

As Novynarnia reported, 25 in January, activists and veterans of the ATO blocked the Luhansk-Lysychansk-Popasna railway segment from Hillary- Zolote with calls to stop trade with illegal armed formations. They stated that they block movement along the demarcation line of 800 wagons daily.

Among the blockade participants are MPs Semen Semenchenko, Pavlo Kostenko, Taras Pastukh, Volodymyr Parasiuk, former chief of staff of the Aidar battalion Valentyn Lykholit (Batya), whose case is being investigated by the General Prosecutor's Office.

The Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal case over the blocking of the railway. But the blockade organizers stated their intention to expand it, and 30 in January blew up the track.

The Security Service of Ukraine, in an official statement, condemned the “populist” actions of politicians who organized the blockade of railway traffic from certain parts of Donbas, and rejected accusations of shielding trade with the occupiers.

Volodymyr Groysman stated that there is currently no alternative to coal imports from the uncontrolled territories in Donbas.

2 February, the blockaders set up a new ‘redoubt’ — ‘Zaporizhzhia’ — at a railway crossing in Bakhmut, Donetsk region.

Head of the Donetsk oblast military–civil administration Pavlo Kyryilov began negotiating to unblock the section, but without result. Activists denied the statement by Donetsk region National Police Chief Vyacheslav Abroskin from 7 February that the railway around Bakhmut had been unblocked.