A strategically important coal mine in the village of Pishchane, near the city of Pokrovsk in Donetsk Oblast, has been blown up to prevent Russian forces from using it to covertly move troops.

Source : The New York Times (NYT)

Details : Miners told reporters that the entrance to mine No. 3 had become too dangerous due to continuous Russian bombardment. Located closest to the front, the entrance is in the village of Pishchane.

Therefore, in early December 2024, the miners began to be lowered through a different entrance, which made the descent take much longer – about two hours. To return, the miners used conveyor belts that transported the coal they had just mined.

Russian attacks sometimes disrupted the power supply and ventilation systems, forcing miners to evacuate. However, keeping the mine operational for as long as possible was crucial for the Ukrainian economy, as it supplied Ukrainian steelmakers with the necessary grade of coal.

The NYT also reports that explosives were planted in two other mines owned by Metinvest, the company that operates the mine near Pishchane, which are still under Ukrainian control. However, it remains unclear whether these explosives have been detonated.

Background :

• On 13 December 2024, reports indicated that Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov's Metinvest Group, the country's largest steel producer, had suspended operations at its coal mining site in the village of Pishchane.
• The site accounted for about half of Metinvest's total coal production in Ukraine.

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