Russian Strikes Idle 90% of Ukraine’s Steel Output

Russian ballistic missile bombardments have knocked out Ukraine’s three remaining large-scale metallurgical plants across the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions, effectively halting 90 percent of the country’s domestic steel manufacturing. Industry executives warned that the concentrated strikes on heavy industrial assets threaten the viability of the entire sector, according to the Financial Times.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. In early September, coordinated ballistic barrages disabled blast furnaces across three major plants, killing 17 metallurgical workers. Subsequent strikes have systematically targeted the damaged facilities to prevent repair efforts, including a dawn attack on Thursday, Sept. 17, when two Russian ballistic missiles struck the Zaporizhstal metallurgical complex in Zaporizhzhia, marking the fourth missile strike on that facility in five weeks. “As of today, [Ukraine] no longer has a steel industry,” Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of the office of the chief executive at Metinvest, told the Financial Times. “They knew everything about the plant, they knew exactly where to hit.” The precision strikes specifically targeted blast furnace infrastructure across two Metinvest enterprises alongside the ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih integrated steelworks in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Metinvest and ArcelorMittal confirmed that the affected facilities, which collectively accounted for 90 percent of Ukraine’s national steel output, have suspended all production operations while technical teams attempt to assess whether damaged components can be restored. Other Topics of Interest Ukrainian Churches Urge Pope to Intervene Over Oleshky Starvation Ukrainian religious leaders urged Pope Leo XIV to help save starving civilians in Oleshky. Indeterminate repair timelines and Engineers and operational specialists have been unable to establish definitive timelines for restoring blast furnace operations, with corporate officials noting that specialized replacement equipment and structural repairs could require extended schedules. “Right now we do not understand how long repairs will take – days, weeks, months, or years,” Vodoviz stated. Vodoviz emphasized that the indefinite idling of the three steel complexes directly imperils the livelihood of more than 15,000 employees. The shutdown threatens severe macroeconomic repercussions for Ukraine’s wartime economy, depriving the state budget of essential corporate tax revenues and foreign currency earnings generated by industrial exports. Prior to the 2022 full-scale invasion, Ukraine ranked among the world’s leading steel exporters. However, the sector has suffered compounding structural losses, beginning with the destruction and occupation of the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works and the Illich Iron and Steel Works in Mariupol, followed by recurrent power grid disruptions and logistical bottlenecks across Black Sea maritime corridors. Repeated ballistic targeting of Zaporizhstal The shutdown across the sector follows a systematic bombardment campaign directed against Zaporizhstal, one of Ukraine’s oldest and largest steel mills. According to Metinvest, Russian forces have launched 17 ballistic missiles at the Zaporizhstal complex since August. The enterprise initially halted output on Aug. 11 after a strike killed eight employees and wounded 28 others while destroying core power distribution systems. Subsequent missile impacts hit the site on Aug. 27 and Sept. 12, damaging blast furnace workshops, open-hearth facilities, internal electrical networks, and logistical transport links. During the Sept. 17 dawn strike, two ballistic missiles struck production workshops and internal rail infrastructure, injuring one worker who was extracted from collapsed masonry. Metinvest Chief Operating Officer Oleksandr Myronenko condemned the repeated attacks on the idled enterprise, characterizing them as a deliberate Russian strategy to prevent reconstruction and eliminate Ukraine’s basic industrial foundation. Myronenko emphasized that the facility produced pig iron and rolled steel exclusively for civilian applications, rejecting any military utility. The physical destruction has exacerbated severe financial strain across the metallurgical sector, with Zaporizhstal posting a net loss of Hr 1.06 billion ($23.7 million) in the first half of 2026, compared to a net profit of Hr 1.37 billion ($30.7 million) during the corresponding period in 2025. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.