Russian Strikes Halt Metinvest Mills as Ukraine’s Steel Industry Falters

Russian strikes in August and September halted operations at Metinvest’s two Ukrainian steel mills, while new European Union import limits are adding pressure to an industry vital to the country’s economy.

An Aug. 11 attack on Metinvest facilities in Zaporizhzhia killed eight employees and injured 28, forcing a full shutdown. A ballistic strike on Kamet Steel on Sept. 5 killed five people — four plant employees and one contractor — and stopped production.

Zaporizhstal was also struck on Aug. 27 and Sept. 12, causing further damage to production, power, transport and logistics infrastructure.

The two attacks account for 13 documented deaths. Ryzhenkov cited a total of 14 people killed during the recent bombing campaign, leaving the final death toll unresolved.

“We had to stop both of our steel mills,” Ryzhenkov said.

He also warned that Ukraine’s steel industry depends on continued access to European buyers. “There is pretty much no future without a market to which you can sell,” he said.

The European Union’s steel measure took effect July 1. It sets annual tariff-free quotas totaling 18.3 million metric tons across 30 steel-product categories and applies a 50% duty to imports above quota. The measure is intended to protect European producers from global overcapacity.

Metinvest’s adjusted employment stood at 33,663 people in 2025, while the company produced 2.018 million metric tons of crude steel and generated $7.242 billion in revenue. Ukraine produced 21.4 million metric tons of crude steel in 2021, before Russia’s full-scale invasion.

Ryzhenkov said the blockade of Ukraine’s seaports is now more severe than it was in 2022. Asked whether the country’s steelmaking industry could disappear, he replied: “If nothing is done, it’s almost inevitable.”