Miners in war-torn Ukraine turn to illegal pits to make a living Even before the war, illegal mines in eastern Ukraine's industrial heartland had sprung up to replace closing state pits and provide cheap coal. But with the conflict forcing many remaining legal mines to shut down, more workers trying to make a living have been forced into the illegal shafts -- where hundreds die each year due to poor safety conditions. In Torez, 60 kilometres east of the flashpoint city of Donetsk, men slide down tunnels in a bathtub tied to a rope, digging coal 140 metres below ground. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES