Ukraine had on Friday warned that it might cut Russian oil and gas transit flows to Europe and ban Russian airlines from crossing its airspace.
The measures are part of a sanctions bill targeting Moscow that will be submitted to Parliament, Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said in Kiev. Yatsenyuk explained that it could include complete or partial bans on transit of all manner of resources, including energy resources and overflights.
Ukraine is the key country for the transport of Russian oil and gas to Europe. Previous energy disputes have resulted in supply cuts for European consumers. Russia had in June halted its gas deliveries to Ukraine because of a payment dispute.
Yatsenyuk said that the Ukrainian Parliament is expected to vote on the Bill next Tuesday.
The draft also envisages sanctions against 172 people – Russians and other nationalities – as well as against other countries and 65 companies for “supporting and financing terrorism.” Kiev has declared the pro-Russian separatist organisations in eastern Ukraine to be terrorist organisations.
Russia lambasted Yatsenyuk’s announcement as a “PR move to prove to the West that Ukraine is on its side,” the Interfax news agency reported, citing an unnamed Foreign Ministry official. The official added that Moscow would retaliate once the sanctions are implemented.
Moscow also criticised Kiev for suspending a ceasefire at the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, downed over eastern Ukraine in July.
The West accuses Russia of arming the separatists, who are believed to have shot down the jet with 298 people on board.
The move violates UN Security Council resolution 2166, which demands a cessation of hostilities to enable an independent investigation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. It added that the UN, Australia and Lithuania had vetoed a Russian draft resolution criticising the Ukrainian decision. “Again, the total hypocrisy of these countries has been exposed,” it said.
Further raising tensions, Moscow said that it had detained five Ukrainian officers on war crimes charges. Russia’s Investigative Committee said that it has evidence that they ordered the use of heavy arms against civilians.
The commanders were among more than 400 Ukrainian soldiers who retreated to Russian territory after being surrounded by separatist forces along the border on August 3. Most of them returned to Ukraine this week.
Ukraine had said on Friday that 15 servicemen were killed and 79 were injured during the past 24 hours in fighting with separatists, mainly along the border with Russia.
Andriy Lysenko, the spokesman of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said that the high number of injured was due to the use of imprecise “Grad” artillery systems by the separatists, the Interfax Ukraine news agency reported.
The government in Kiev accuses Russia of supplying the separatists with heavy weapons and fighters.
The rebels, in turn, accuse government forces of firing “Grad” missiles upon civilian quarters in the besieged separatist stronghold cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Four civilians were killed and 18 injured in artillery attacks against Donetsk, the regional government had said late on Thursday. Luhansk authorities warned that the situation in the city was critical because water, electricity and communication systems remain cut off for the sixth consecutive day.
In New York on late Friday, the United Nations had said it was ready to increase support to Ukrainian relief efforts if needed.
The UN is working in coordination with key humanitarian organisations on the ground to assist government-led efforts to respond to the emerging needs, UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon said in a statement.
But if the situation deteriorates or if ongoing response efforts are not sufficient, “the UN is ready to consider additional measures of support,” a statement issued by Ban’s office said.
“We continue to scale up our preparedness and stand ready to increase our support to Ukrainian relief efforts, as required,” he said.
Ban said he was “deeply concerned” about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in parts of eastern Ukraine, where he said innocent civilians continue to lose their lives.