09:47 20.05.2015

Almost 60% of mines in Donetsk region area uncontrolled by Ukraine flooded, impossible to restore them – official

2 min read
Almost 60% of mines in Donetsk region area uncontrolled by Ukraine flooded, impossible to restore them – official

Head of the Donetsk regional military-civilian administration, Oleksandr Kikhtenko, has said that almost 60% of mines in the territory controlled by so-called Donetsk People's Republic militants have been flooded and are unlikely to be restored.

"Almost 60% of mines in the territory uncontrolled by Ukraine are unfit for work, they are flooded. And it is almost impossible to restore their operation," Kikhtenko said.

He said there is no reason to block coal supplies from areas in the region which are controlled by separatist militants.

"The fact is that today we are working to receive coal and I see no reason for such work. Today coal is required for the development of metallurgy, without it steelmakers will not be able to produce goods, there won't be jobs. We are not preventing the supply of goods to our territory, I, on the contrary, welcome this," he said in Kramatorsk, according to the OstroV online portal.

At the same time, he said that the legality of goods imports or exports should be not be ensured by regional state administrations but rather the relevant authorities, in particular, the State Fiscal Service, the State Border Guard Service, the leadership of the Anti-Terrorist Center, and the Interior Ministry.

"These units deal with this issue. I do not check the legitimacy of exports and imports at the checkpoints," Kikhtenko said.

He also said that at present, there is an absolute coal shortage at power plants controlled by Ukrainian authorities.

"Today 30% of our need is provided. It is necessary to resolve this issue, otherwise we'll have big problems in the winter," Kikhtenko said.

At the same time, he stressed that the regional authorities are not holding talks with the so-called Donetsk People's Republic and are not involved in them.

"I've never called and do not call to cooperate or negotiate with the people who illegally seized power. The questions of economic relations are resolved by the directors of enterprises, the owners of these companies, mine owners. They are negotiating, they are re-registered in the territory controlled by Ukrainian authorities, and they pay taxes. In such circumstances, they are allowed to supply goods here," Kikhtenko said.

AD
AD
AD
AD
AD