MOSCOW, November 24. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Minister of Energy and Coal Industry Yury Prodan on Monday confirmed reports that Russian companies have suspended exports of steam coal to Ukraine.

“According to information I have received from DTEK and Centrenergo, Russian companies have suspended coal export to Ukraine,” he told the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper. “I do not know why but I can say that the reasons are not economic. Both DTEK and Centrenergo pay for coal in due time.”

Coal exports have been stopped from the evening of November 21, he said, adding that he had no information when they might be resumed.