Ukraine's Minister of Energy Yuriy Prodan announced on Monday that Russia had suspended coal supplies to Ukraine.

This is to bring additional harm to the energy policy of the country, which is already experiencing serious problems with the supply of coal due to the conflict in the Donbass region, where most of the coal reserves lie.

Earlier on November 12, Prodan said that the country will have to rely on Russian coal during the winter as the supplies from Eastern Ukraine have been disrupted by the ongoing conflict.

According to information received from DTEK and state-run Tsentrenergo coal supplies from Russia have been suspended.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK said that the suspension of supplies was completely unexpected.

DTEK released a statement, in which it revealed that the company has not received official information on the delay of supplies, and was working towards establishing the reasons and circumstances of the present situation.

DTEK, owned by Ukrainian magnate Rinat Akhmetov, stated it has imported 1.3 million tonnes of coal since the beginning of August from Russia.

In order to meet its electricity needs, Ukraine has to import around 1 million tonnes of coal monthly.

The Ukrainian state has signed a contract to import coal from South Africa, but earlier this month the supplier halted the shipments due to the political instability in the country.

Coal is vital to Ukrainian economy, as the thermal power plants that provide around 40% of the country's electricity, run on it.