Two Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPP) suspended operations last Wednesday, including one in the Kiev Region, due to a shortage of anthracite coal, and another TPP is planning to suspend operations.

Currently, Ukrainian TPPs have a total reserve of nearly 100,000 tons of anthracite. Yury Korolchuk, a member of the supervisory board of the Ukrainian Institute for Energy Strategies, told the Russian online publication Vzglyad that those reserves would be enough just for one to two weeks.

The shortage in anthracite reserves is due to a blockade of energy coal supplies from the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donbass, according to Sputniknews.

In late December 2016, a so-called Ukrainian volunteer fighters group declared a trade and economic blockade of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR). The blockade resulted in disruptions in anthracite shipments from Donbass territories, not controlled by Kiev, which forced the government to introduce a state of emergency in the energy sector.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Energy Minister Igor Nasalik said that the suspension of three thermal power plants would not result in power supplies restrictions.

“There will be no blackouts across Ukraine,” he said.

In fact, Ukrainian energy companies cannot guarantee energy shipments without disruptions. It is expected that Ukrainian nuclear power plants and hydro power stations could be used to compensate losses.

While Kiev also hopes to receive energy coal shipments from South Africa, analists also estimate it might ask for Russian coal, if the situation goes critical.