DTEK Energo was not and is not the organizer of the miners' protests. Public accusations against DTEK Energo by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy and Housing and Communal Services A. Gerus are the use of state power for personal purposes to put pressure on private business, as well as neglect of strategic state interests.
The systemic energy crisis caused by administrative interference in the electricity market and the impact of macroeconomic factors have reduced the market for public and private coal mines. Since April 1, DTEK Dobropillyavuhilya mines have been in forced downtime and have not been able to resume operations, as their coal remains unclaimed by heat generation, and more than 150,000 tons of coal are stored in the company's warehouses.
The issue of setting market prices for electricity generated by thermal generation also remains unresolved. Due to non-market initiatives and decisions of the NERCEC, manipulations of traders-speculators, electricity prices of TPPs are artificially underestimated and kept below the economically justified level for sustainable operation of all participants in the fuel and energy sector of Ukraine. This is the main reason for non-payment of salaries to miners and losses of almost all types of generation in Ukraine.
Responsibility for the growth of social tensions and protests lies with government officials, who are implementing the practice of administrative intervention in the market, which has led to a crisis in the entire energy sector of Ukraine.
DTEK Energo takes all necessary measures to maintain production at Dobropil mines. 6.5 thousand employees of mines and concentrators are idle, who continue to receive salaries in the amount of salary (tariff rate). Another 1.2 thousand employees are involved in work to support production - ventilation of workings, water pumping, monitoring the condition of equipment.
To improve the market and create conditions for overcoming the crisis in the energy sector, the recovery of the Ukrainian economy requires a professional approach and constructive dialogue between all market participants. We have repeatedly stressed that Ukrainian miners should not be held hostage to manual, unprofessional, administrative interference in the energy market.