Ukraine is about to start receiving coal supplies from Australia and Kazakhstan, the IA Novosti-Kazakhstan new agency has reported, citing Ukraine's minister of energy and coal Vladimir Demchishin.
"We are incapable of independently supplying our power plants with coal," said the minister. He added, "Money was designated to purchase additional volumes of coal and negotiations were held with all participants, starting with Australia, South Africa and Kazakhstan, to work on the possibility of shipping coal from far-away countries."
Ukraine's coal supplies are at unprecedentedly low levels because of the conflict with pro-Russian rebels, requiring imports from as far away as Asia to avoid blackouts this winter.
To cover the shortfall, the country plans to import 320,000 mt by sea and another 500,000 mt from Russia as well as 200,000 mt from the mines in disputed areas.