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Ukrainian government bans free entry into border zone

The authorities also determined the procedure for issuing permits for entry, stay, residence, work and border passes

MOSCOW, December 8. /TASS/. The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers has established a special border regime at the country's borders, cabinet representative in the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) Taras Melnychuk has said.

"A special border regime has been established. Free entry, stay, residence, movement of persons and any work not related to defense or protection of the state border are prohibited," Melnychuk wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to him, the new measures apply "within the limits of land plots that are granted for permanent use to military units of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine for construction, arrangement and maintenance of engineering and technical and fortification structures, fences, border signs, border crossings, communications."

The authorities also determined the procedure for issuing permits for entry, stay, residence, work and border passes.

The day before, the Ukrainian government allocated $21.5 mln for the purchase of equipment for demining and construction of fortifications.

Ukraine set up an interdepartmental group to deal with the construction of fortifications in late November. It was headed by the country's defense minister. In addition, the cabinet earlier allocated almost $868,000 for the construction of defensive structures in the territories of the Zaporozhye Region controlled by the Ukrainian troops, as well as $340,700 from the reserve fund for the construction of fortifications in the eastern and southern directions and over $2.7 mln in the Sumy Region in the north of the country.

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