RIA Novosti citing Mr Viktor Yanukovych President of Ukraine as saying that the country plans to increase coal production to 90 million tons a year by 2015.
He said that "The government has developed a new program to drastically modernize the industry and upgrade the existing coal mines."
In 2009, Ukraine produced about 70 million tonnes of coal.
Mr Viktor Yanukovych stressed that the coal industry is a key component of the state energy security.