The mine, near the frontline city of Pokrovsk, produced coking coal crucial for Ukraine’s steel industry. It kept running until the very last moment, when Russian forces finally reached its gates.

Ukraine's sole coking coal mine in Pokrovsk has ceased production due to the threat posed by nearby Russian forces. The stoppage is a significant blow to Ukraine's steel industry, as the facility is crucial for coking coal supply.

Russia has long been closing in on the key logistics hub of Pokrovsk, and DeepState, a Ukrainian military analytical blog based on open-source intelligence, said Moscow’s troops were less than 2 km (1.24 miles) from one of the mine shafts.

Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov's Metinvest Group, the largest steel producer in Ukraine, is suspending the operations of the Pokrovske Coal Company (Pokrovske coal mine and Svyato-Varvarinskaya enrichment factory) due to the approaching front line,

The Pokrowske coking coal mine production in the Donetsk region has been halted due to the Russian offensive. This company, crucial for the Ukrainian steel industry, is in direct danger. Metinvest, the largest Ukrainian mining and metallurgical holding company,

The Pokrowske coking coal mine production in the Donetsk region has been halted due to the Russian offensive. This company, crucial for the Ukrainian steel industry, is in direct danger. Metinvest, the largest Ukrainian mining and metallurgical holding,

The mine is Ukraine’s only source of metallurgical coal required for steel production. According to the country’s coking coal association, Ukraine produced about 3.5 million tons of coke in 2023 using coal solely from Pokrovsk.