KIEV, August 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s coal industry lost $22.84 million in July over the continued military operations in the country’s east, First Deputy Energy and Coal Minister Yuriy Zyukov said on Wednesday.

The Ukrainian coal industry’s decline has been unprecedented since World War II, the first deputy minister said.

“We lost 297 million hryvnias in July alone due to the continued war [in east Ukraine] and failed to produce 315,000 tons of coal as planned,” he said.

“We have lost about 420,000 tons of coal since the start of the year,” Zyukov said.

From 30 to 35 coalmines in east Ukraine are not working mainly due to the absence of electricity and, as a result, mine flooding,” the first deputy energy and coal minister said.