As Pniówek Coal Mine, it operated from its opening in 1963 to 1975, when it was renamed XXX-lecia PRL Coal Mine. That super-mine was an ambitious investment – at the end of 2011, it employed 5,362 people. Although it is marked with the fourth lowest category of methane hazard, in 2022, there was a methane explosion. Eight people died, and 30 were injured in the crash.
29.37 kilometers – at the time of writing this report, separating Kramatorsk, the temporary capital of the Donetsk Oblast, from the front line. One third of the 220,000 inhabitants remained. In the deserted city you can see mostly soldiers. They head to the front or return from it to rest for a while. The fate of Kramatorsk and eastern Ukraine depends on the outcome of fierce fighting. Military trucks and heavy equipment rush to nearby Bakhmut every day.
