Pictures of the Year International

Olha, the female coal miner, works in the mine face in the frontline town of Pokrovsk, Ukraine, on August 15, 2024. Opened in 1990, the Metinvest coal mine was the biggest in Ukraine and one of the crucial factories for Pokrovsk, the city's biggest employer and economic driver. On December 13, 2024, the coal mine was shut down due to the Russian forces approaching the city. Coal from this area has the unique quality necessary for steel production; this loss will affect other sectors of Ukrainian economics, including metallurgy.