Sergey Kondratiev, Deputy Head of the Economic Department of the Institute for Energy and Finance, gave a comment to the Rossiya Segodnya news agency about the situation in the Ukrainian power generation.
On the eve of winter, there is a shortage of coal in Ukraine - Russia has cut off supplies. Kiev speaks of "political revenge", Moscow responds: it was you, who severed economic ties. Schools and kindergartens are closed - there is nothing to heat by.
The main importers of Russian coal in Ukraine are Rinat Akhmetov's private energy company DTEK Energo and the state-owned Centrenergo. Deliveries came from the Kemerovo and Rostov regions.
In 2021, Russia sent to Ukraine about 6.5 million tons of coal. Another two million were re-exported through Belarus. At the end of 2020, solid fuel prices went up. Centerenergo sounded the alarm: there are not enough reserves for the heating season. But instead of additional purchases, the authorities decided this winter to sever energy ties with Russia and Belarus. The rapid rise in energy prices prevented this. Kiev asked Minsk to resume supplies.
Unpatriotic energy industry
Coal prices have been rising since June. China and the European Union bought much more. Ukraine sat idly by."In Ukraine, it is considered politically incorrect to conclude contracts with Russia and Belarus. You can contact neighbors only in emergency situations, which costs exorbitant prices, because exporters did not plan deliveries in advance. This suits Ukraine. They are ready to overpay just to avoid accusations of unpatriotism," Sergey Kondratiev explains.
"Russia enters into contracts, stipulating volumes and cost. If this is not the case, it is more difficult to obtain coal. Especially at the height of the heating season. Deliveries have already been scheduled. Kiev is trying to buy at least something from the wheels," Kondratiev adds.
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