This bleak assessment of the coal industry in the occupied Donbas was given by deputy minister of energy of russia Dmitry Islamov.
"The situation (in the coal sector of the occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts – OstroV) remains difficult. While enterprises in other regions of russia (Ukrainian Donbas is de jure not part of the russian federation – OstroV) have invested in modernization for years, in the LNR and DNR such work has largely not been done", - he stated.
In addition, the deputy minister noted, coal reserves here lie deeper underground, so the profitability of extraction is very low.
Islamov assured that the ministry is looking for ways to subsidize coal enterprises in Donbas. According to him, in the future, after significant investment, exports may be possible, but for now the "task is to ensure that coal from the 'DNR' and 'LNR' meets the needs of these regions: industry and energy".