Ukraine has blown up a key coal mine ahead of the Russian offensive.

The mine, which extracted coking coal, served the metallurgical industry. Its closure could potentially halve the country's steel production, as stated in the report. In 2023, it produced 3.2 million tons of coal.

By summer, production had decreased by nearly a third, down to 7,000 tons of coal per day. By mid-December, it was extracting 2,000 tons of coal daily. By mid-December, operations at the mine became untenable due to constant shelling and energy shortages.

Miners had to access the mine not through the village of Pyschane, where the entrance was located, but via underground tunnels. They had to return on conveyor belts.

Ukrainian military officials feared that the Russian army could similarly bypass Ukrainian positions underground and strike from the rear, as reported by the NYT. Explosives were planted in the mine, which were detonated around December 20. Explosives were also placed in two other mines of the enterprise that remain under Ukrainian control. However, it is unclear whether they were detonated.

The mine's operator, Metinvest, reported the complete cessation of operations at the mine near Pokrovsk and the adjacent enrichment plant on January 14. Ukrainian coal is planned to be replaced with American coal at the steel mills, according to the company's press release. The Russian army is located just a few kilometers from Pokrovsk and is attempting to encircle it. The city is a crucial transportation hub, essential for the logistics of Ukrainian forces in the part of Donetsk region still under Kyiv's control.

More news from Radio Free Europe: