Russian strikes halted 90% of Ukraine's steel production – FT

Three plants that produced 90% of Ukraine's steel have halted operations following Russian strikes.

Source: Financial Times

Details: In early September, Russian ballistic missile strikes knocked out Ukraine's three remaining major steel plants, located in the industrial centres of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.

"As of today, [Ukraine] doesn't have a steel industry any more," Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of the chief executive's office at Metinvest, an international mining and steel group headquartered in Ukraine, told the FT.

Quote: "They [the Russians] knew everything about the plant, they knew exactly where to hit."

More details: The ballistic missiles targeted the blast furnaces of three plants, including two Metinvest plants and the ArcelorMittal plant in Kryvyi Rih.

The companies said these plants, which accounted for 90% of Ukraine's steel production, had to be shut down.

"Right now we do not understand how long it will take to make the repairs, days, weeks, months or years," said Vodoviz.

He said the shutdown of the plants, which together employ more than 15,000 workers, could have a significant impact on tax revenue for Ukraine's budget.

Background:

• On the morning of 17 September, Russia attacked the shut-down Zaporizhstal (Zaporizhzhia Steelworks), a major iron and steel manufacturing plant in the city of Zaporizhzhia, with two ballistic missiles. One employee has been taken to hospital. Production equipment and railway infrastructure have been significantly damaged. This was the fourth attack on Zaporizhstal since August.
• Following a Russian ballistic missile strike on 11 August, Zaporizhstal completely shut down operations. In late August, Metinvest said that it was not yet possible to determine when the steelworks could resume operations.

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