DTEK Energy and PJSC Centrenergo have agreed to supply 75,000 tonnes of thermal coal from the United States in the coming months, which they will divide equally upon arrival, the DTEK press service reported.

"It became possible to ensure coal imports due to normalization of the situation in the electricity market, which made it possible to achieve economically reasonable prices, and thus find the necessary resources to prepare for the autumn-winter period," CEO of DTEK Energy Ildar Saleev is quoted in the report as saying.

The press service also cites the opinion of Centrenergo, which noted that additional coal reserves will allow passing the heating season calmly, without using gas or importing electricity.

According to Interfax-Ukraine, the supply of American coal will be carried out through the international trader Trafigura.

In turn, head of the Independent Trade Union of Miners of Ukraine, MP Mykhailo Volynets said that coal from the United States would be supplied at UAH 3,150 (about $120) per tonne. At the same time, Ukrainian mines sell coal at UAH 1,650 per tonne.

"State mines are reducing coal mining, and the country is covering its deficit through imports at UAH 3,150 per tonne," he said on his Facebook page.

DTEK also announced the start of coal supplies from Poland, the first batch of which in the amount of 2,700 tonnes arrived in Ukraine on August 19 within the framework of an agreement signed with the Polish coal mining company Bogdanka on the import of 320,000 tonnes of thermal coal. In addition, DTEK Energy expects supplies from Kazakhstan.

According to the Ministry of Energy, coal reserves at warehouses of thermal power plants of five power generating companies (DTEK Dniproenergo, DTEK Zakhidenergo, DTEK Skhidenergo, Centrenergo and Donbasenergo) as of the morning of August 27, amounted to 726,000 tonnes, which is 812,000 tonnes less than the approved accumulation schedule for that date (1.538 million tonnes).