DONETSK, Dec. 11 - A fall in coal extraction or complete shutdown by the Zasyadko mine, which annually extracts over 3.3 million tons of coking coal, would lead to an increase in coal shortages, which would affect Ukrainian metallurgy, according to director of coal and coke division of Metinvset-Holding Ltd., Volodymyr Husak.

"A cut in extraction or a shutdown of the Zasyadko mine would affect the whole Ukrainian metallurgical sector and the country's economy. The losses could be millions of dollars. I think that every one would agree that lives of people are more important than financial figures. The main thing is to save the lives of miners," he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.