Mariupol’s Illich iron and steel works being cut up by Russian invaders for scrap metal – adviser to the mayor of Mariupol

FRIDAY, 19 AUGUST 2022, 14:55 – DANA HORDIICHUK

In the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol, Russian invaders began cutting up the structures of the Mariupol Illich iron and steel works for scrap metal.

Petro Andriushchenko, the adviser to the mayor of Mariupol, reported on Telegram.

"Today, smoke began to rise over the plant. This was because the occupiers have begun to cut up large pieces of scrap metal, together with steel slag. In fact, on the premises of the plant that have been cleared  and demined, they have begun to cut up the plant for scrap metal," he wrote.

As previously reported, the invaders are stealing metal from Ukrainian businesses and removing it from the city. There are also reports of mass theft of Ukrainian grain and attempts to sell it to third countries, and in particular to Syria. In order to move cargo from Ukraine, the invaders have since May tried to restore the port in occupied Mariupol. 

According to Ihor Barskyi, the director of the port, as of 23 February, there were about 200 thousand tonnes of metal and pig iron within the territory of the port, the value of which is close to 170 million dollars. The volume of grain present was significantly lower — 3,400 tonnes in warehouses and another 9000 tonnes on a foreign-flagged vessel at one of the berths. It is known that the metal in question belonged to Rinat Akhmetov’s Metinvest group, which includes both the Azovstal steel plant and the Mariupol Illich iron and steel works.

Background:

At the end of July, the Russian invaders restored the power supply to the port of Mariupol to use it for the export of grain and metal stolen from Ukrainians.

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