Occupants want to capture a unique mine near Pokrovsk – Reuters.

Russian troops are moving towards Pokrovsk with the aim of capturing a mine where a special type of coal - coking coal - is extracted. This is reported by journalists of the Reuters agency.

According to the agency, the mine is of great importance to the Ukrainian metallurgical industry, which is why Russian troops aim to capture it. It is located approximately 10 km west of the city center and specializes in extracting coal needed for coke production.

The head of the Ukrainian metallurgists association, Oleksandr Kalenkov, stated that the loss of the mine could lead to a significant reduction in steel production. According to him, it was planned to produce up to 7.5 million tons of steel by the end of the year, but next year it was planned to increase production to more than 10 million.

Kalenkov also emphasized that the loss of the mine would lead to increased production costs for metallurgists, as imports would be insufficient.

The Pokrovskoye mine is one of the largest mining administrations in Ukraine for the extraction of coking coal. It is of great importance to the country's metallurgical industry, providing it with raw materials.

In October 2024, the situation on the Pokrovsk direction is tense. Russian troops continue active offensive actions with the aim of capturing strategic objects, including mines that are significant for the Ukrainian industry. The direction is actively defended by Ukrainian forces.

As a reminder, the Pokrovskoye mining administration provides jobs for six thousand people, so its capture by Russia could lead to a catastrophic decline in steel production.

The Russian army will not be able to capture Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region by October 1, nor later, according to the former head of the Ukrainian Foreign Intelligence Service Mykola Malomuzh.

The capture of Pokrovsk could become the central event of the Russian military campaign in the Donetsk region this year - as American journalists stated earlier.