The need to use pillarless technology in the development of shallow coal seams by underground mining at depths greater than 500 m is dictated by the economic feasibility of reducing the cost of coal and reducing losses in the subsurface. Traditional pillarless methods of protection often do not satisfy the existing conditions or are used irrationally. The combination of rigid protective structures with slotting by means of hydraulic fracturing or micro-hydrotorpediting of roof rocks is, in our opinion, one of the promising directions of ensuring the operational condition of preparatory mine workings. Analysis of the modern state of the protection methods of preparatory mine workings used repeatedly is executed, protective actions for conditions of the Eastern Donbass, grounded by results of the study of the mechanism of change of the stress-deformation state around the mine working away of the adjacent faces are recommended.
