MOSCOW, July 1. /TASS/. The share of unprofitable enterprises in the Russian coal sector increased from 53% to 62% in January-May 2025, with losses amounting to 79.9 bln rubles ($1 bln), State Secretary, Deputy Energy Minister Dmitry Islamov said in an interview with TASS.
"In the first quarter alone coal producers posted losses worth 79.9 bln rubles, while the share of loss-making enterprises rose from 53% to 62%, accounts payable continued growing as well," he said.
"Without measures that we assumed, losses of coal companies could reach 300-350 bln rubles this year, and accounts payable - 1.5 trillion [rubles]," Islamov added.
The coal sector was the only major unprofitable industry in Russia last year, with the share of loss-making entities having reached 53%, the official noted, adding that without anti-crisis measures, the country’s coal sector could lose 15% of production this year, while 51 enterprises could go bankrupt.
Islamov mentioned a combination of external and internal factors, including low global prices, the extension of logistics routes, as well as the strengthening of the ruble, as the reason of the crisis. "The cost of coal has fallen almost twofold since the beginning of the year. This all was coupled with domestic factors, including the limited capacity of the Eastern Polygon, growth of supply costs," he said.
Earlier reports said that President Vladimir Putin had greenlighted a program to support Russia's coal industry drafted by the Energy Ministry.