Russian strikes idle three plants that produced 90% of Ukraine's steel
Russian ballistic missile strikes in early September knocked out three major Ukrainian metallurgical plants — Zaporizhstal, Kametstal and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih — which together had accounted for about 90% of Ukraine's steel output. The attacks killed 17 workers and halted production at facilities employing more than 15,000 people. Metinvest's Oleksandr Vodoviz said Ukraine "effectively no longer has a steel industry."
Key points
- Three plants hit: two Metinvest facilities (Zaporizhstal and Kametstal) and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts.
- Together they accounted for about 90% of Ukraine's steel output before the strikes; all three are now idle.
- 17 workers were killed across the attacks on the three plants; dozens more were injured.
- More than 15,000 people are employed across the three facilities.
- Repair timelines are unknown and could range from days to months or years, according to Metinvest's Oleksandr Vodoviz.
- Zaporizhstal was struck four times in less than a month; Metinvest said Russia fired 17 ballistic missiles at the plant over that period.
- Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi warned the state could lose roughly $1.5 billion in tax revenues, against an estimated $27 billion annual budget deficit.
Why it matters
The three plants that accounted for roughly 90% of Ukraine's steel output are now idle, effectively dismantling a cornerstone of the country's heavy industry and export base. More than 15,000 workers depend on these facilities, and the human toll — 17 killed across the attacks — underscores that the strikes hit working industrial sites, not just infrastructure. With repair timelines ranging from days to years, the duration of the disruption is unknown, and Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi has warned the state could lose about $1.5 billion in tax revenues on top of an estimated $27 billion annual budget deficit, compounding fiscal strain as the war drags on.
What happened
Russian ballistic missile strikes in early September disabled three major Ukrainian metallurgical plants: two belonging to Metinvest — Zaporizhstal and Kametstal — and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, located in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Together, the three had produced about 90% of Ukraine's steel before the strikes. Blast furnaces were damaged at all three sites, and production has been halted. Seventeen workers were killed across the attacks on the three plants, and dozens more were injured. The three facilities together employ more than 15,000 people. Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of Metinvest's CEO office, said the time required for repairs is unknown and could range from days to years. Zaporizhstal had already been idle since August 11 after an earlier strike; it was struck again on September 17 for the fourth time in less than a month, with Metinvest saying Russia fired 17 ballistic missiles at the plant over that period. Kametstal in Kamianske was hit on the night of September 5, killing five workers and wounding four. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih was struck on the night of August 16, killing two and wounding 13, forcing a partial production halt. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi said the state could lose about $1.5 billion in tax revenues because of Russian attacks on business and logistics, while President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia "wants to kill the Ukrainian economy and through that break our resistance."
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All supplied sources are Ukrainian-language media, and they frame the story around the destruction of a strategic domestic industry. Coverage centers on the warning from Metinvest's Oleksandr Vodoviz that Ukraine "no longer has a steel industry," and foregrounds official Ukrainian voices — Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi and President Volodymyr Zelensky — to stress the fiscal cost of the strikes and Russia's stated intent to wreck the Ukrainian economy. Headlines use direct, emotive language such as "metallurgy is gone" and "Russian strikes stopped 90% of Ukrainian steel," underscoring the national economic loss. Reports detail specific casualty figures, plant locations and the sequence of attacks, presenting the strikes as deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure rather than collateral damage.
Where reporting differs
Sources give conflicting death tolls from the August 11 strike on Zaporizhstal: most reports say seven workers were killed and 21 injured, while at least one account gives eight killed. They also differ in how they frame the September 17 strike on Zaporizhstal — some describe it as the fourth attack in a month, while others emphasize the broader pattern of 17 ballistic missiles fired at the plant over the same period. Reports also differ on the halt of the two largest Akhmetov Group enterprises: one source places the stoppage and force majeure declaration on September 16, while others fold it into the broader early-September shutdown of all three major metallurgical plants.
Background
The three affected plants are two Metinvest facilities — Zaporizhstal and Kametstal — and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Zaporizhstal has been idle since August 11 after an earlier strike and was hit again on September 17 for the fourth time in less than a month; Metinvest said Russia fired 17 ballistic missiles at the plant over that period. Kametstal in Kamianske was hit on the night of September 5, killing five workers and wounding four. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih was struck on the night of August 16, killing two and wounding 13, forcing a partial production halt. Metinvest's Oleksandr Vodoviz said the Russians "knew everything about the plant" and "knew exactly where to hit," suggesting deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure. The shutdown comes against a backdrop of broader pressure on Ukraine's economy: a Black Sea blockade estimated to cost about 1.5% of GDP, alternative export routes carrying only around 40% of normal agricultural volumes, the destruction of 2.1 million of 5 million square meters of modern warehouse space, and warnings from Dragon Capital's chief economist Olena Bilan that economic growth this year is unlikely.