Ukraine ceased to supply coal from occupied Donbas. It was announced by Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Igor Nasalyk on 112.Ukraina TV channel, - reports LIGABusinessInform.
"Another 6-7 months ago we could say that we couldn’t do without anthracite from the ATO area. Today we compensated with anthracite from other countries," - said the Minister.
According to him, three days ago the first ship loaded with coal from South Africa arrived in Ukraine.
Nasalyk also added that the Cabinet of Ministers refused to get coal supplies from the occupied areas of Donbass due to increased intensity of the fighting, problems with the rolling stock, as well as the disruption of raw materials supplies.
Earlier Nasalyk said that Ukraine could not do without coal supplies from the ATO area in the near future because of the limited capacity of the Ukrainian ports of transhipment.
Ukraine began to experience an acute shortage of thermal coal in the summer of 2014, when as a result of military operations, it completely lost control over part of Donbass where the majority of the anthracite coal mines are located.
Currently, about 60% of electricity generated in Ukraine is generated by nuclear power, the rest is produced by thermal power plants burning gas and coal, as well as hydroelectric power plants and "green" energy.
In 2015 Ukraine imported bituminous coal and anthracite for more than $ 1.6 billion in total. The largest coal suppliers to Ukraine last year were Russia, the US and Kazakhstan.