Kuzbass coal production slips 0.6% in Jan-Sep 2026

Kuzbass coal production edged lower in January-September 2026 as mounting logistics constraints and disruption to Russian export routes continued to pressure the industry.

Under the Ministry of Coal Industry of Kuzbass, in January-September 2026, coal mining enterprises in Kuzbass produced 139.9 mio t (-0.9 mio t or -0.6% vs. Jan-Sep 2025).

Export supplies from Kuzbass in January-September 2026 totaled 81.4 mio t (+5.5 mio t or +7.2% vs. Jan-Sep 2025).

Nevertheless, September exports dropped 6.7% m-o-m to 8.3 mio t. Furthermore, from May to August 2026, shipments from Kuzbass to export markets declined by an average of 2.5% per month.

The increasing attacks by Ukrainian drones on merchant vessels in the Black Sea have led shipowners to refrain from calling at Russia’s southern ports, which has virtually brought exports from the Azov–Black Sea basin to a standstill since July 2026.

Shippers have redirected volumes to ports in the north-west, but the capacity of this route is constrained by existing utilization and infrastructure limitations.

Further pressure was exerted by the authorities’ decision to prioritize grain deliveries by rail from October 01, 2026. As a result, Russian Railways (RZD) has scaled back its plans for coal supplies to north-western terminals for October.

The decline in Russian coal exports is expected to intensify in the coming months, which has already led to rising prices on international coal markets.

The share of loss-making companies in Russian coal industry reached 69%; 65 enterprises are on the verge of a complete shutdown, 20 of which have already halted production.

The crisis in the coal industry, on the back of sanctions, high railway tariffs, firming ruble as well as rising costs and logistical constraints, will further adversely affect the production and supplies of high-quality Russian coal to the global market in 2026-2027.

Source: CCA