The Ukraine gained independence in December 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Ukraine had been a significant economic force in the Soviet Union, trailing only Russia in economic production. Its output had been four times greater than the next-ranking Soviet republic's. Production halved, however, once the Ukraine gained independence. In addition to drastically decreased output, the nation also suffered from hyperinflation by late 1993.
The abundance of mining accidents is certainly a reflection of the struggling
economy. At this point in time, the possibility for mine reforms seems
very remote.
| December 1, 1991 | The Ukraine becomes an independent nation |
| November 14, 1995 | 100,000 miners go on strike. Their demands include back wages for the past four months, totaling $112 million |
| April 4, 1998 | Methane gas blast kills 63 workers in a Donetsk mine |
| August 16, 1998 | Thirty miners die in a methane gas explosion in Donbass |
| October 7, 1998 | A worker dies from electrical shock at a mine in Luhansk |
| October 7, 1998 | A train driver dies in a mine, following an unspecified breach of safety rules |
| October 12, 1998 | A miner is killed by falling coal in a Kiev mine |
| October 26, 1998 | A miner dies at a Dnipropetrovsk mine, due to an unspecified violation of safety rules |
| October 26, 1998 | Falling pieces of rock kill a miner in eastern Donetsk |
| November 16, 1998 | A miner in Kiev is killed by falling rocks |
| November 23, 1998 | Falling rocks kill a miner in Luhansk |
| January 2, 1999 | Six die in mine blast |
| May 24, 1999 | Methane blast kills 50 miners in Donetsk |
| January 30, 2000 | Explosion kills three miners |
| March 11, 2000 | Methane gas explosion kills 81 workers in a Luhansk mine |
| March 21, 2000 | Three Ukrainian officials are charged with safety violations in connection with the March 11 explosion |
| April 4, 2000 | A miner dies after being trapped underground for four days |