detained for 7-8 hours and subjected to life threats, inhumane treatment and beating. After his release he fled the region together with his family. Labour rights 267. There are growing concerns about the ability of enterprises in Donetsk and Luhansk regions to continue functioning due to the on-going fighting, targeted attacks and intimidations by the armed groups. 268. The presence of uncontrolled armed groups and rise of criminality obstruct the business activity of entrepreneurs, which first of all affects small companies in the sphere of services and retail (banks, logistic companies, stores, petrol stations, and bakeries). 269. On 20 May, the Mayor of Donetsk, Oleksandr Lukyanchenko, stated that a wide range of enterprises do not work in full capacity and some of them suspend production, in particular, “Donetsk Metallurgical Plant” employing approximately 2,100 persons. 270. On 29 May, the Secretary of the National Security and Defence Parliamentary Committee, Sergey Kaplin, stated that due to the current events in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, approximately 60 % industrial enterprises of companies were forced to suspend their work, leaving thousands of employees without regular income. 271. There also have been armed attacks on mining companies, which constitute the main share of the regions’ economy. On 9 May, it was reported that local miners repelled an attack by the pro-Russian supporters of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, who attempted to take down the Ukrainian flag and threatened the miners that they would throw explosives into the mine’s shafts for their disobedience. Allegedly, the miners decided to organize their own “self-defence” to protect themselves. On 19 May, there were armed attacks on the operational and closed coal mines in Horlivka, Donetsk region. On 22 May, a group of unidentified armed individuals allegedly captured four operating mines of the JSC "Lysychanskvuhillya" in Luhansk region. All of the four attacked mines temporarily suspended production activities. Reportedly the armed men pointed guns at the mines’ workers, demanding to supply them with explosives. The Ministry of Energy of Ukraine appealed to the SBU demanding that necessary steps be taken to protect the mines. Previously, on 26-27 May, due to pressure by the armed representatives of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” on the “Donetsk Coal-Mining Company”, coal production was suspended at several mines, including “Octyabrskiy Rudnik”, “E. Abakumov”, “A. Skochinskogo” and “Trudovskaya”. 272. On 20 May, Denys Pushylin, “speaker” of the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, announced the launch of the nationalization campaign in the region. According to their official sources, Mr. Pushylin blamed the local oligarchs` unwillingness to pay taxes to the “republic’s” budget, and their opposition to the interests of Donbas as the reason for the adopted decision to start the nationalization. In particular, Mr Pushylin blamed Renat Akhmetov, owner of the company System Capital Management. The broader impact of the crisis in the eastern regions of Ukraine 273. Recent developments in the country have already negatively affected the financial and banking system. In the first quarter of 2014, the national currency depreciated by 27%, dramatically reducing incomes and salaries. Whereas the average monthly wage in 117 | P a g e