According to Forbes Ukraine, 83 mines were located in the areas controlled by the militias of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics at the beginning of November. Shelling, power cut offs and backdated wages are the problems that coal workers have to face in these regions. How the coal miners work in war-torn Eastern Ukraine - in photo gallery by TASS
Donbas coal miners: work in war-torn Eastern Ukraine
83 mines are located in the areas controlled by the militias of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics which was about 38 percent of the Ukrainian coal production in 2013
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Kommunarskaya coal mine No 22 was launched on November 7 after 2.5 months of inactivity as a result of the fighting in Eastern Ukraine
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Photo: Workers descending in Kommunarskaya 22 coal mine
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Ukrainian troops entered Kommunar village on August 16, and on August 21 coal mine stopped working. Ukrainian soldiers used it as their base
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Kirov coal mine in Donetsk region was cut off power as a result of shelling. Photo: Workers in Kirov coal mine in Donetsk region
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS There were 175 people underground at the moment of an accident, all managed to go out
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Photo: Workers in Kirov coal mine in Donetsk region
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS According to Forbes Ukraine, 83 mines were located in the areas controlled by the militias of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics at the beginning of November
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Ukrainian Ministry of Energy estimated the deficit of fuel at 4.26 million tonnes until the end of this year
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Ukraine had to import the coal needed to fuel the country's power plants
Ukrainian Minister of Energy and Coalmining Yuriy Prodan called the coal supply situation in the country alarming
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Amid the current standoff with Russia, Kiev has been looking for alternative coal suppliers, including Australia, the United States and South Africa. Photo: Workers of Kommunarskaya 22 coal mine
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Head of Donetsk self-proclaimed republic Aleksandr Zakharchenko promised to the miners that coal will be delivered to Ukraine only if it will be pre-paid. Photo: A worker having a meal during a break at Kommunarskaya coal mine No 22
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS Kiev authorities blocked the accounts of the mines located in Donetsk region and stopped paying miners their salaries. Photo: Workers of Kommunarskaya coal mine No 22
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS On December 1 Ukrainian government partially resumed imports of Russian coal. Photo: Bus delivering coal mine workers to their homes, Donetsk region, Ukraine
© Mikhail Pochuyev/TASS