Turkey has become the largest buyer of coal from the ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’ territories in Ukraine controlled by Moscow

From February to June 2023, Turkey imported approximately 160,400 tons of coal from the non-controlled territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine.

This information was confirmed in conversations with Reuters by three producers mentioned in customs documents.

The total value of these shipments was estimated to be at least $14.3 million.

Turkish authorities have repeatedly stated their recognition of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Ankara played a key role in mediating an international deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to be exported via the Black Sea. However, Turkey did not restrict trade with Russia or territories in Ukraine controlled by Moscow.

According to data obtained by Reuters, coal was imported into Turkey from no fewer than 10 producers over the course of five months. Turkey turned out to be the largest consumer of coal from the non-controlled regions of Ukraine, accounting for 95% of the total volume of shipments during this period.

Coal sellers were registered in Russia and on non-controlled Ukrainian territories, according to the “Spark” database. The buyers were companies registered in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and offshore jurisdictions, including Belize and the British Virgin Islands. Turkish companies were not included in the list.

In November of the previous year, Vitaliy Khochenko, the former leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), claimed that the region had already been exporting coal to Turkey, which then went on to markets in the Middle East and Africa.

Despite commercial data not providing a complete picture of how coal exports were conducted, it indicates that some of the coal passed through ports in Rostov-on-Don and Novorossiysk.

The United States imposed sanctions on February 21, 2022, three days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, prohibiting the import and export of goods from the so-called DPR and LPR. Two days later, the European Union imposed similar sanctions. Turkey does not have such restrictions. The U.S. has already imposed sanctions on companies, including Turkish ones, that they claim support Moscow in its war against Ukraine.

Turkey remains a significant consumer and importer of coal. Official data shows that in the first half of this year, Turkey generated 31.5 million megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity from imported coal, a quarter more than in the same period in 2022.