Second this month: another Metinvest steel plant halts production after Russian strike – photos
The Kametstal steel plant in the city of Kamianske has halted all production following a nighttime Russian ballistic missile strike, while the company says it is unable to estimate when operations can resume.
Source: Metinvest Group, the largest steel producer in Ukraine, that owns the plant
Details: The blast furnace and sinter production facilities, as well as the plant's energy and transport infrastructure, were damaged. Emergency repair and restoration work is currently underway, while a full assessment of the equipment will only be possible once the rubble has been cleared.
Five people were killed: four plant employees and one employee of a contractor. Another four plant employees were injured. Oleksandr Hanzha, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, initially reported four fatalities and five injuries, with three people taken to hospital. The death toll later rose to five.
The strike occurred at around 01:50. Metinvest says only a few minutes passed between an air-raid warning being issued and the strike, which was not enough time for all employees to reach shelters.
"There were no military targets, military equipment or military production facilities at Kametstal. Only civilians worked there, producing iron and steel exclusively for civilian needs," said Oleksandr Myronenko, Chief Operating Officer of the Metinvest Group.
This is the second steel plant in the group to halt production because of Russian strikes in less than a month. Myronenko said Metinvest is going through "the most difficult period in its 20-year history".
Background: Russia struck Zaporizhstal (ZaporizhzhiaSteelworks) twice on 11 and 27 August. The plant also completely halted production. Metinvest compared the damage to the destruction seen during the Second World War. Seven employees were killed and 21 injured in the first strike.
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