Ukrainian forces have destroyed the No. 3 mine shaft in Pishchane, Donetsk Oblast, to prevent Russian troops from advancing closer to the strategic front-line town of Pokrovsk.
This development was reported by The New York Times on January 15.
The mine, located southeast of Pokrovsk, had become too dangerous for miners due to frequent Russian attacks. Workers switched to accessing the mine through another shaft but faced increasing threats as Russian forces advanced to within a mile of the site.
Pokrovsk serves as a critical logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in Donetsk Oblast, an area experiencing intensified Russian offensives.
Ukrainian soldiers and miners collaborated to drill holes beneath the shaft to plant explosives, ultimately blowing it up around December 20, 2024, to deny its use to Russian forces.
The mine, which produced coking coal essential for Ukraine’s steel industry, was vital to the country’s economy. Steel exports, Ukraine's second-largest revenue source after agriculture, generated nearly $2 billion in the first eight months of 2024.
Metinvest, Ukraine's largest steel producer, confirmed the planting of explosives in two additional shafts near Kotlyne and Udachne, though it remains unclear if they have been detonated.
The closure of the Pokrovsk coking coal mine poses a threat to Ukraine’s steel production. Projected output for 2025, initially set at over 10 million metric tons, may plummet to 2-3 million tons if Pokrovsk is lost, Reuters reported.
