Women underground: how Ukraine's energy sector adapts in wartime

In the coal mines of eastern Ukraine, women are breaking barriers in an industry that has historically excluded them. As Bloomberg reports, women like Tetiana Ustymenko are now piloting trains through underground tunnels, keeping Ukraine's energy infrastructure running despite russia's invasion.

"It's good that women are being given a chance to prove themselves," Ustymenko told Bloomberg. "It's just a pity that it's the war that got us here."

At one DTEK mine featured in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ), the impact has been profound. Of the 4,500 men employed at the mine before the invasion, around 1,000 have joined the army since February 2022.

Mining area head Dmytro Ustyukhov proposed recruiting women to fill the gaps—an idea initially met with resistance. But by August 2022, the first women started working underground.

Bloomberg reports that soon after russian troops surged across Ukraine's border, more than 15% of men working at the mines were mobilised. With most major employers facing similar labor shortages, management began seeking women to fill some positions. Now, approximately 140 women work underground in what the company considers less strenuous roles.

Karina Sylkova, 40, previously worked as a furniture store saleswoman.

"I want to help my country and the army, that's really important to me," she explained to FAZ reporters. Now she operates a cable car system that transports materials through the mine's extensive tunnel network.

Today, nearly 600 women work for the company, with 125 working underground, primarily focused on managing logistics operations in the tunnels.

As highlighted in The Kyiv Independent's coverage, the Donbas region, once known for its thriving heavy industry, now faces the destruction caused by russia's war. Despite this, DTEK's miners demonstrate remarkable resilience, continuing their vital work under increasingly dangerous conditions.

russia's relentless attacks on Ukraine's power grid have made coal production existential for the country's energy security. Women like Sylkova aren't just filling jobs—they're helping keep Ukraine's lights on during its darkest hours.

"Of course I'm worried about what's happening upstairs," Sylkova told FAZ, referring to her family above ground.