REUTERS
Production of thermal and coking coal in Ukraine increased by 2.8% in 2016, to 40.864 million tonnes, from 39.76 million tonnes in 2015, according to the Ukrainian Energy and Coal Industry Ministry's press service.
Ukrainian state-owned coal mines produced 5.789 million tonnes, accounting for 14.2% of the total coal output, the press service said.
Read alsoKubiv: Donbas militants have no access to Ukrainian budget funds for coal purchaseIn December 2016, coal production in Ukraine stood at 3.856 million tonnes, including 511,300 tonnes of coal produced at state-owned mines.
As UNIAN reported earlier, production of thermal and coking coal in Ukraine in 2015 fell by 37.5%, to 39.76 million tonnes, against 65 million tonnes in 2014 due to the hostilities in Donbas.
UNIAN memo. Fighting in the eastern regions of Ukraine has caused a significant shortage of coal, primarily thermal anthracite produced in militant-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Thus, the deficit of coal affects the operation of power plants, which have to reduce their capacity. However, the government, in order to provide the smooth operation of the power grids, decided to import anthracite from South Africa.