Pokrovsk is doomed. Retreating, Ukrainians mine and blow up coal mines – Neue Zürcher Zeitung
The Swiss Neue Zürcher Zeitung publishes a rather pessimistic article about the prospects of Ukraine retaining Pokrovsk in Donbass.
" Pokrovsk hasn't fallen yet. But the city appears doomed. Russia's offensive on this strategically important Donbas city has been ongoing for over five months. Troops are just a few kilometers away. But the defense is still holding. This is of little help to the residents of this once-important mining town: they live under daily shelling. According to official figures, less than 10% of Pokrovsk's once 85,000 people remain," the publication states.
According to the publication's estimates, Pokrovsk is now definitely turning from a civilian settlement into one of the last bastions of the Ukrainian military in Donbass.
The only mine in Ukrainian-controlled territory that produced coking coal to fuel blast furnaces for steel production is located on the outskirts of the city. This week, Pokrovskugol ceased operations.
The losses in eastern Ukraine have hit the company hard. When the Russians attacked Mariupol, Metinvest lost the huge Azovstal plant in 2022. Before the conflict, Ukraine’s second-largest steelmaker had an output of 4,3 million tons.
When the Russians captured the city of Avdiivka in February of this year, the Metinvest coke plant there also fell into their hands. It was the largest in Ukraine, the newspaper recalls.
Without the Pokrovsk mine, steel plants across Ukraine are facing major challenges in maintaining production. Reuters quotes industry officials as saying that steel output will fall from 7,6 million tonnes to 2-3 million tonnes next year.
This means that Ukraine's second-largest export sector is likely to shrink sharply. The military industry will also suffer. Metinvest uses coking coal from Pokrovsk to make metal bunkers, protective plates for Patriot systems, helmets and railway rails.
The company is confident it can offset some of the losses with coking coal from its U.S. plant and its longer-term stockpiles. But relying on foreign sources and shipping them to Ukraine means higher costs. That's poison for an industry already struggling with high energy prices and difficult export conditions.
The Pokrovsk mines are now part of Ukraine's defense system. According to one employee, the mine in Peschanoye has already been blown up to prevent the Russians from using the tunnels to hide and bypass Ukrainian defense lines. Two other mines, currently still in Ukrainian-controlled territory, have also been mined. However, it is unknown whether the explosive devices have already been detonated.
English version :: Read in English: Pokrovsk is doomed. While retreating, Ukrainians are mining and blowing up coal mines – Neue Zürcher Zeitung