Metinvest Group has decided to suspend operations at Pokrovske Coal Group, which includes Pokrovske Mine and Svyato-Varvarinskaya Concentrator. The reason was the approaching front line, electricity shortages and the deteriorating security situation in the region.
This was reported by the press service of Metinvest.
“Pokrovske Coal Group is the energy heart of the Ukrainian steel industry, which provided most of the export revenues to the Ukrainian budget. However, with the situation worsening every day, we cannot risk the safety of our thousands of employees, as well as the lives of their families and children. Therefore, the suspension of the company’s operations is a necessary step that will help save lives. We believe in the victory of Ukraine, we believe in the Ukrainian Armed Forces and we are ready to resume the work of Pokrovske Coal Group and Pokrovsk itself after repelling the Russian invasion,” said Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of the Group.
The company also has an action plan to help provide coal and coke for steelmaking at the group’s metallurgical assets: “The measures include replacing Ukrainian raw materials with coking coal from the US-based United Coal Company (part of Metinvest Group), using the increased coal reserves, and securing additional coal and coke supplies from third-party suppliers.”
The Russian army continues to concentrate its forces for attacks in the Pokrovske direction. The occupiers have concentrated a large number of their soldiers in this area.
According to Viktor Tregubov, a spokesman for the “Khortytsia” operational and strategic grouping of troops, the enemy wants to take the city “in a pincer.”