One, who controls Debaltsevo, also controls coal business

Fighting for the largest transport hub in the eastern Ukraine - Debaltsevo – doesn’t’ extinct, despite the Minsk agreement. According to the headquarters of the Kiev’s anti-terrorist operation, for the last day terrorists fired Debaltsevo and nearby villages 88 times.

Until recently Debaltsevo was one of the largest railway junctions of the Ukraine. Since August, the station doesn’t actually work in normal mode. According to one of the fighters of the Kiev 101st separate brigade, the railway junction and access roads are almost completely destroyed. Does this mean that Debaltsevo lost its "logistics" value and become a symbol of resistance of the Ukrainian Army?

We talk with director of the Center for transport strategies Sergey Vovk.

- What is the importance of the Debaltsevo railway hub for the transport system of the Ukraine?

- Donetsk railway had two major ways of freight traffic. The first was Sinelnikovo - Avdeevka - Donetsk - Mariupol. This was the main way, via which iron ore was delivered to Mariupol metallurgical plant n.a. Ilyich and Azovstal. The second was just across the Debaltsevo station, which is located on the outskirts of the Lugansk region: most goods from the territory passes it. This is a key node. in which virtually all transportation arteries in the region meet. Since these are electrified ways, of course, it was also important for passenger traffic.