https://www.yahoo.com/news/crisis-hits-coal-mining-industry-074500095.htmlThe mining industry in occupied Luhansk Oblast is all but shuttered as Russia has just conscripted 80% of the miners. The Ukrainian side of Donetsk Oblast, on the other hand, is operating many mines at rather high capacity.
Luhansk is almost entirely under the control of Russian Federation affiliated forces, while Donetsk is only about half occupied.
Russia must be in need of military personnel to draft so many miners in the most important coal basin in Europe. Perhaps the pro-Russian government of Luhansk Oblast wants these men for a coming offensive, which has been discussed, though no one, except the Russian military and militia forces, know if it is actually going to happen.
Just some interesting news about the war.
Notice on the Donetsk coat of arms, that up above is the Ukrainian blue sky and yellow wheat fields motif, but again, at the bottom, is solid black, as if to symbolize the coal under the earth of that region, which has played so great a role in its economy, history, and culture.
Donetsk is to Ukraine sort of what West Virginia is to America.
