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NEARLY 500 Ukrainian coalminers were trapped underground today after their pit lost power when a shell hit a regional electric substation.
The incident occurred in rebel-controlled Donetsk city’s Zasyadko colliery, where 300 miners were briefly trapped on January 11 because of a similar problem.
“When the power went out there were 496 miners underground,” a Donetsk region emergencies ministry official said.
“Right now, we are making preparations to bring them to safety.”
Elsewhere, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov struck a defiant note after Western leaders threatened to hit Moscow with further sanctions.
Mr Lavrov told journalists that the shelling of Mariupol on Saturday was a tragedy being manipulated to “whip up anti-Russian hysteria.”
He blamed Kiev and said the rebels were only responding to a government offensive.
“To expect they would simply reconcile themselves to being bombed would be naive,” he said. “They destroyed Ukrainian army positions used to shell populated areas.”
