Ukraine halts operation of only coking coal mine in Pokrovsk due to approaching Russian troops - Reuters
Ukraine has halted coking coal production at a mine in Pokrovsk, which fed the country's entire metallurgical industry, due to the approach of Russian troops.
Reuters writes about this with reference to sources in the Ukrainian industry, Censor.NET reports.
It is noted that the Pokrovsk enterprise, which is located in the combat zone, is the only mine in Ukraine that produces coking coal, which is necessary for the country's once giant steel industry, which has collapsed after the Russian invasion in February 2022.
"Russia's invasion led to the destruction of the country's leading steel mills. Ukraine, previously a major steel producer and exporter, reported a 70.7% drop in production in 2022 to 6.3 million tons. In 2023, it fell to 6 million tons," the agency said.
Reuters sources said that the mine has stopped working.
"There is no production there, they are only working on the surface," one of the sources said, adding that evacuation of employees is underway.
According to the National Coke Association, in 2023, Ukraine produced about 3.5 million tons of coke exclusively using coking coal mined in Pokrovsk.
The Steel Producers' Union said last year that the potential closure of the mine could lead to a drop in steel production to 2-3 million tons in 2025, from 7.6 million in 2024.
The producers said they hope to find alternative sources of coking coal in other parts of Ukraine if the Pokrovske mine is seized by Russian forces. However, imports would inevitably be required, which would drive up costs.
"According to trade data, metal exports totaled nearly $4.4 billion in 2024 - the money needed to keep Ukraine going for nearly three years after a full-scale Russian invasion," Reuters adds.
Earlier, Bloomberg said that Kyiv's allies must fulfill their promises and provide Ukraine with all the help it needs as soon as possible to prevent Russia from seizing Pokrovsk.