Race to Save 150 Miners Trapped Underground After Russian Attack in Ukraine

Kyiv (BN24) – A Russian strike on a Ukrainian mining facility has killed one worker, injured three others and left 146 miners trapped underground after the attack damaged critical infrastructure and caused widespread power outages, according to Ukraine’s largest private energy company.

DTEK, the country’s biggest private energy investor, confirmed the assault damaged enterprise buildings and equipment, resulting in electrical failures that prevented normal mining operations, the Kyiv Independent reported Monday.

“At that time, 146 miners were underground; their ascent to the surface is ongoing,” DTEK stated regarding the strike against its facilities.

The energy company did not specify the precise location of the affected mine, though trade union leader Mykhailo Volynets reported earlier that 148 miners remained trapped underground following a Russian attack in Dobropillia, located in Ukraine’s embattled Donetsk region.

DTEK has not responded to requests for additional comment regarding the incident or rescue operations.

The mining strike occurred as Ukrainian forces launched overnight attacks against Russian logistical installations in occupied Crimea, according to military officials. Ukraine’s special forces reported successfully targeting facilities “that ensure the functioning and combat supply of the military units of the Russian army,” rendering multiple installations inoperable.

The military announcement followed reports from the pro-Ukraine Crimean Wind Telegram channel describing drone strikes against an electrical substation at a railway station, characterized as a “precise hit” by the monitoring group.

The channel also documented attacks against railway infrastructure in nearby Dzhankoi and reported a possible strike against an oil depot in the same city, suggesting coordinated Ukrainian operations against Russian supply lines in the peninsula.

The twin developments underscore the continuing escalation of attacks on civilian and military infrastructure as the conflict extends into critical industrial sectors affecting both nations’ energy and transportation networks.