Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has said that Ukraine's coal industry is among the first to achieve pre-crisis levels of production.

An Interfax-Ukraine reporter said that while speaking to the participants of a national meeting on Miner's Day in Donetsk on Thursday, the head of state said that the growth in coal production had exceeded 15 million tonnes over the last three years, and that 48 million tonnes had already been produced in the first seven months of 2013, which was 12% more than planned.

"This is a positive dynamic, and the result of the selfless work of Ukrainian miners," Yanukovych said.

He also said that the government should significantly step up efforts to ensure the safety of miners' work.

"Our task is to ensure the maximum safety of miners. This is the first and foremost goal of any technological innovations and decisions of managers in the coal industry," Yanukovych said.