The position of Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal remains unchanged since the early days of the war: it is to help Ukraine win the war. Maximum efforts, capabilities and resources of the business are channelled toward this goal.
Economy
For the enterprises of Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal, as well as for the whole country, the year was difficult and exhausting. Yet since the early days of the war, the enterprises have been working, paying taxes, people have jobs and salaries.
- Since the beginning, it became clear that coal-mining enterprises automatically moved to the category of those who would work for the country's defence. First, we took care of the safety of our employees and their families. We did everything to ensure that the processes that support the functioning of the enterprises were not affected by wartime conditions, and improved logistics. We did not stay away from other people's problems. Like all enterprises of the Group, every day of the 12 fierce months of the war, Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal fights together with Ukraine: for the well-being of people, the comprehensive provision of the military, the opportunity to work and support the country's economy. We joined all the humanitarian initiatives of the company, focused our efforts to support the army and defend the city. We work with a clear understanding that we must continue to produce high-quality concentrate and thereby support the country, Metinvest Group, our employees, Pokrovsk community and its residents. After all, each additional tonne of coal is a significant contribution to strengthening the backbone of Ukraine.
– Andriy AKULYCH, General Director of Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal
When hostilities began, the employees, as well as the whole country, were very worried. Many people quit and went away. Almost 1,000 employees joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine. People were sorely lacking. However, production did not stop, and the teams achieved worthy results at the end of a very difficult year.
Despite martial law, disruptions of power supply, the miners of CG "Pokrovske" mine coal, go through mine workings and install new coal faces. Today, the company mines coal in four coalfaces. In 2023, it is planned to commission four more new coalfaces. The near-term prospect is the northern longwall 9 of block 10. Its reserves are estimated at one million tonnes, and the coal seam thickness is 1.01m. It is planned to complete the longwall preparation in the first half of March.
CF "Sviato-Varvarynska" fully processes coal mined by the miners. The team ensures the output and shipment of high-quality concentrate. Moreover, contractual quality parameters were met for each of the consumers, including European ones. During the wartime period, as in the pre-war period, no complaints were received. The company continues the implementation of the investment programme, under which several magnetic separators and slurry pumps have been replaced with modern high-performance models. A 1500-metre section of the conveyor belt, manufactured by the Australian company JLV, has been installed on the rope and belt conveyor. As part of the final stage of reconstruction process at the enterprise, it is planned to put into operation two additional flotation columns.
The works on block 11 construction are in progress. The miners of the mine construction company completed the preparation of the air supply shaft No. 3 and fully completed its reinforcement. The works on the construction of a permanent headframe of Downcast Ventilating Shaft 3 have been started. The team of the mine construction and installation department No. 1 completed the installation of supporting steel structures of a permanent headframe of Downcast Ventilating Shaft 3. The total weight of steel structures was 255 tonnes, the height of the headframe was 49 metres.
The railway workers of Vuglepromtrans, LLC and the employees of the Transport Directorate carry out passenger and cargo transportation in full. All the rolling stock of the automobile enterprise remains in service. In addition to their immediate duties, the drivers of the Transport Directorate took part in the evacuation of the employees of Mariupol enterprises of Metinvest Group and the delivery of humanitarian cargo.
The team of the production and structural unit for the repair and production of electrical equipment (Nikopol) works in the most difficult conditions because of constant shelling, and the staff of Sviato-Ilyinsky Machine Building Plant (Kurakhovo), which is located in close proximity to the front line, has temporarily stopped its work.
- The year of the war taught us to be strong and face challenges with dignity. Our strongest resource is people. Those who did not leave the enterprise and supported production in the most difficult time. Those who returned to their workplaces, as well as the new employees who are now joining our team. Together we bring our victory closer. We mine coal, which is processed into a high-quality and much-needed concentrate. We overcome metres. We mount new coal faces. We look to the future, continue capital construction and, step by step, we prepare block 11 for operation. We believe in the best and expect to have peace in our land.
—Valeriy YAKOVENKO, General Director of Pokrovske Colliery Group
Society
The war rallied, united Ukrainians on all front lines - on the battlefield and in the rear. Since the early days of the war, Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal jointly with Metinvest Group channelled all their resources towards helping civilian population. Volunteers of the company's enterprises organized humanitarian aid points where they collected clothes, shoes and other essentials.
As part of the Saving Lives humanitarian project the employees and veterans of our enterprises, families of mobilized servicemen, IDPs and socially vulnerable groups of the population regularly receive the aid. After a year of full-scale invasion, Saving Lives became one of the largest humanitarian projects in Ukraine. The number of citizens who have received help from it is increasing every day and will soon reach 500 000 people.
Considerable and extremely important support is also provided in employment sphere. Despite the difficult times, enterprises are working and growing, and therefore need new employees. For those who lost their jobs because of the war, there is an opportunity to get a new profession and a job. For visitors, the company provides a transfer to workplaces, and for those who plan to work in shift mode - free accommodation in a dormitory.
It is worth noting that during the year of the war; approximately 500 people mastered mining skills. Among them are our colleagues from the enterprises of Metinvest Group, which are temporarily idle.
- We felt the strong support of Metinvest Group and Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal long before the war. It is done by personal protective equipment, medicines, medical clothing, disinfectants and express tests for COVID-19, which Pokrovsk medical facilities received during the pandemic. The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has repeatedly donated highly needed medical equipment, including ventilators. An oxygen station has been installed on the territory of Clinical Hospital for Intensive Treatment of Pokrovsk to supply the therapeutic department with oxygen. And for uninterrupted power supply - a powerful transformer. During the year of the war, medical facilities in Pokrovsk repeatedly received medicines, medical instruments and equipment for minimally invasive operations. For all this, we are sincerely grateful to our reliable partners and hope for further cooperation, - noted the chief doctor of Clinical Hospital for Intensive Treatment in Pokrovsk Yuriy BORODIN.
Army
The Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal company remains a reliable pillar of Ukraine not only in the economic, social, but also in the defence sphere. One of the main tasks is to provide the military with modern military equipment. Every tenth body armour vest that protects our military is made of Metinvest's steel. Employees of the company, who are defending Ukraine on combat positions, also received body armour vests and helmets.
In total, as of today, more than 15 million hryvnias from Metinvest Pokrovsk Coal have been sent to help the army. Since the first days of the war, the company is helping to build fortifications. For this purpose, it provides heavy mechanical equipment, bulldozers, excavators, vehicles. Provides building materials, solves the issue with fuel.
Another way for assistance is the production of special metal structures. They will help to strengthen trenches and save lives of soldiers. Such shelters are made by employees of various enterprises of the Metinvest Group. The size of the structure is 6 meters long, and the diameter is more than 2 meters. It can be easily disassembled for handling and transfer to other positions. Inside there are wooden beds, special compartments for storing things and military equipment, and for heating there are stoves. More than ten of such metal shelters have already been installed in the Pokrovsk area.
The company also handed over 10 modern drones worth almost UAH 1.5 million to the units where employees of the enterprise are fighting.
- Today, Pokrovsk is one of the cities where city-forming enterprises of the Metinvest Pokrovsk coal company, which are part of the Metinvest Group, work, fill the budget and support its residents. The wartime showed a good example of the synergy of big business, provincial, regional and local authorities. Together, we have done a lot. The company provides equipment, fuel, thanks to which we have already prepared almost seven lines of defence. Mobile shelters, drones, equipment for the military, medicines for hospitals, stoves for townspeople and equipment for shelters. When the blackouts began, we received five generators from the company for uninterrupted operation of the boiler houses. Together, we make our community better and bring victory closer every day, - is confident the head of Pokrovsk Military Administration Serhiy DOBRYAK.
Serhiy SOKRUTA, miner of sector No. 3 of CG "Pokrovske":
- Every day, starting a shift, we make our contribution to the work of the colliery group, the development of the region and the country. The enterprise is our steppingstone, and we support it with our work. Currently, my colleagues and I are mining coal in the 9 northern "bis" longwall of block 10. We work in difficult conditions, but we understand that our coal is extremely necessary and is in big demand today.
Volodymyr YEROSHENKO, the pensioner of CG "Pokrovske":
- It is good that even under the conditions of war, the Metinvest Group and my dear enterprise do not forget about us, they continue to help in solving various issues, in particular, they provide humanitarian aid in the form of food kits. For us, pensioners, this is a very important support in this difficult time. I really want peace to come as soon as possible, so that people can normally live and work.
Yurii CHALYY, master of the surface of the RZO-1 sector of CG "Pokrovske":
- I got a job at the enterprise recently. Before that, I worked at the Avdiivka Coke Chemical Plant. When the enterprise went idle, I had no job. I learned that I can get a job in mining colliery group, I decided to try it and I don't regret it. The work team is united. Metinvest supported me in a difficult moment. During my employment, I was given financial support, for which I am very grateful.
Natalya OLEKSANDROVA, pump installation operator of concentrating factory "Sviato-Varvarynska":
– I do not hold a weapon in my hands, but, like hundreds of my colleagues, we are working for victory at our workplaces. My family lives in Hirnik. Our small town is located in the near area of the war zone. Once, during one of the shellings, our house was damaged. The blast wave knocked out the windows and the partition wall between the rooms. But, despite the danger, we go for work shift every day and work.
