Don Coal, a Russian mining company, is preparing to export coal from occupied Ukrainian territories starting in October. The coal is expected to be shipped to several countries, including Iran, India, Uzbekistan, China, and Malaysia. Part of the coal will be transported by sea, while the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is also anticipated to facilitate exports. Russian media reports indicate that a railway route through Azerbaijan and into Iran may serve as an alternative to Black Sea transport. Additionally, the company plans to ship coal through the occupied port of Mariupol and its own ports in Rostov-on-Don and Taganrog.
Interestingly, Don Coal is avoiding the use of Russia’s Far Eastern railways, where Russian Railways is struggling to meet transport demands from Siberian coal mines. Instead, it is likely that Ukrainian coal will be routed south to Iran’s Indian Ocean ports for further shipment to India, China, and Malaysia.
Since February 2024, the occupational authorities have begun leasing mines to Don Coal, which is set to invest nearly three billion rubles in the operations. The company aims to quintuple its output to five million tonnes annually by 2025, with plans for this coal to also travel along the INSTC in the near future.
