This is the only mine in Ukraine that produced coking coal, which is needed in the steel industry. “They have all stopped working now. There is no production there, they are only working on the surface,” Reuters sources say, noting that evacuation is already underway. Earlier, the president of Ukrmetallurgprom said that together with Pokrovsk, Ukraine will lose half of its steel production due to a coal shortage.
And it’s only gonna be getting worse for them going forward. It seems like Russian momentum is accelerating, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a complete collapse of the AFU happens this year. At that point Russia will be in position to dictate terms unilaterally.