Russia hammers coal mine in Ukraine leaving 192 miners trapped underground

Russia carried out a major strike on a coal mine in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast on Sunday, leaving 192 workers trapped underground, according to Ukrainian energy firm DTEK. According to the most recent information from the Ukrainian National News agency, all of them were successfully rescued, and none of the workers were injured. DTEK, Ukraine's largest privately owned energy company, has repeatedly come under Russian attacks, which have forced temporary shutdowns at its facilities and interrupted heating supplies to households.

As winter approaches, Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine's energy network, targeting key infrastructure and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes without electricity. Ukrainians are preparing for another season of widespread blackouts, with President Volodymyr Zelensky warning that the strikes are intended to create an "energy disaster" across the nation.

Dnipropetrovsk region, located in central-eastern Ukraine, is a key industrial and energy hub, with its administrative centre in the city of Dnipro. The region is rich in natural resources, particularly coal, iron, and manganese.

Mines in the area are vital for supplying coal to power plants and supporting the national economy. Russia targets them to disrupt Ukraine's energy supply, weaken industrial output, and exert psychological pressure, as attacks on critical infrastructure can hinder both civilian life and military logistics.

In August, nearly 150 Ukrainian miners were rescued after Russian attack on mines and one worker was killed.