State-run coalmines that failed to pay wages to employees will be able to receive aid from the national budget only after drawing up and agreeing corresponding programs, the Energy and Coal Industry Ministry has reported.

The ministry said that the funds to cover debts to pay to employees of state-run coalmines that do not make profits have not been financed via direct subsidies for the second year in a row.

Ukraine's 2016 national budget passed at the end of 2015 foresees the possibility of using UAH 500 million to pay debts of coalmines.

"Corresponding documents should be drawn up in the shortest term, and this work is being done from the first days of the year. As soon as the documents are ready and agreed with other agencies, the funds will start arriving at the enterprises," the ministry said.

The ministry said that the only way to avoid problems with debts to miners is growth of coalmines' efficiency, increase of extraction and profit making.

Earlier Chairman of Ukrainian Miners' Independent Trade Union Mykhailo Volynets said that personnel of state-run Lviv Vuhillia's Stepna coalmine located in the village of Hlukhiv, Lviv region, went on strike on January 2, demanding the repayment of delayed wages. He said that miners did not receive 78% of their wage for November and 100% for December 2015.