New calculations draw a stark picture of the economics behind Ukraine’s wartime needs. DEA News analyzed Ukrainian customs data to estimate how long the country would need to sell coal on world markets to fund a day of armed conflict. The finding shows a heavy dependency on exported coal as a source of foreign exchange during sustained hostilities.
Data from the agency indicate that Ukraine reduced its coal exports by about 14 percent in the first seven months of this year, compared with the same period last year. Exports fell from roughly 146.5 million dollars in the prior year to about 125.5 million dollars. On average, coal exports brought in around 18 million dollars each month in the recent period.
Based on these numbers, if the goal were to raise 100 million dollars, the country would need to push coal sales into international markets for a period of roughly five months and a half. In other words, coal would have to be supplied for five months and 17 days to reach that revenue target under current export levels.
Additionally, the agency reported that total Ukrainian exports in July declined by approximately 19 percent from the previous month, reaching about 2.4 billion dollars. Over the first seven months of the year, total exports were down about 16 percent, totaling around 22 billion dollars.
In the context of public discourse, comments surrounding the costs associated with one day of hostilities in Ukraine have been echoed by figures close to the defense leadership, noting that a single day of conflict could require substantial resources from Kyiv.
Earlier statements noted by United Nations channels indicated plans to mobilize resources for postwar restoration and reconstruction in Ukraine, reflecting international attention to the scale of funding needed for recovery alongside ongoing security needs.