The kremlin's official website published a transcript of a conversation between russian president putin and leader of the "LNR" pasechnik on December 20. Pasechnik openly admitted that 58% of the miners of the "republic" were driven to the front, as a result of which three people work at some mines.
Pasechnik acknowledged the terrible figures: "In 2022, in connection with the start of a special military operation, 58% of the miners - namely the miners who work in the face, the young guys - went to the front. For example, as of today, about three people are working at one of the mines, where more than three hundred people should work".
But even in such a situation, pasechnik stated that at the mines, "we don't even have enough money somewhere to pay wages, this is the main problem".
Pasechnik blamed small illegal coalmines for all troubles. He lamented that "coal from diggers is probably moving to the same Ukraine, to the same Europe and so on".
"If we stop and ban the activities of small illegal coalmines, then, in general, we will free up a certain number of workers who work there, who will go to work for our state-owned enterprises. That is, in this way, we will replenish the labor reserve, which will be to carry out coal mining, we will increase the profitability of our state-owned enterprise", - pasechnik made a "business" proposal to putin.
He also asked him: "In order for people to go to work there, it is necessary to make a decision to ensure the reservation, so that miners are not called up, in any case, for now, in the "LNR" people's militia units or in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation".
At the end of the conversation, pasechnik boasted to putin that "the work in medicine is basically well-established, everything is fine, everything is wonderful".