Russia attacks coal mine in central Ukraine with nearly 500 workers underground
Russian forces attacked a coal mine in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast while 496 people were underground, Ukrainian energy company DTEK reported on Oct. 25.
The strike marked the seventh attack by Russia on DTEK coal enterprises over the past two months as Moscow intensifies its campaign targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure ahead of winter.
"Engineering teams are working to minimize damage in order to restore operations as soon as possible," the company said in a statement following the attack.
All mine workers were brought to the surface safely, and none were injured, the company added.
DTEK is the largest private energy company in Ukraine. Its facilities have been targeted in multiple Russian strikes, forcing production halts and disrupting residential heating supply.
A similar attack on Oct. 19 also targeted a coal mine in the region, trapping 192 employees underground.
Dnipropetrovsk Oblast is located in central-eastern Ukraine. The region's administrative center is the city of Dnipro, one of Ukraine's largest industrial and cultural hubs.
Russia has ramped up strikes against Ukraine's energy system heading into the colder season, hitting critical infrastructure and leaving hundreds of thousands of households without power.
Ukrainians are bracing for another winter of blackouts as Russia aims to impose what President Volodymyr Zelensky described as an "energy disaster" across the country.
Tania Myronyshena
