Russian strikes knock out three steel plants behind 90% of Ukraine's steel output

Why it matters

The three damaged plants accounted for roughly 90% of Ukraine's steel output, so their combined shutdown effectively halts domestic steelmaking. More than 15,000 workers face an uncertain future, at least 17 have been killed and dozens wounded, and the prime minister has warned of about $1.5 billion in lost tax revenue. The strikes point to deliberate targeting of a backbone of Ukraine's industrial base.

What happened

At the beginning of September, Russian ballistic missiles knocked out three of Ukraine's largest metallurgical plants: Metinvest's Zaporizhstal and Kametstal, and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, located in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Together these facilities produced about 90% of Ukraine's steel, and all three have halted production.

Zaporizhstal has been offline since an August 11 strike that killed seven workers and wounded 21. On September 17 it was hit for the fourth time in a month, with reports that 17 ballistic missiles were fired at it over that period, damaging engineering and rail networks. Kametstal was struck overnight on September 5 in Kamianske, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, killing five workers and wounding four; it has not operated for the past month. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih was attacked overnight on August 16, killing two and wounding 13, and has partially reduced production. Across the three plants, at least 17 workers have been killed and more than 15,000 are employed.

Metinvest's head of CEO's office, Oleksandr Vodoviz, told the Financial Times that the Russian military "knew everything about the plant" and "knew exactly where to strike." He said the time needed to restore production is unknown and could range from days to months or years. Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi separately warned that the state could lose around $1.5 billion in tax revenue from Russian attacks on business and logistics.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

All four sources covering the story are Ukrainian-language media outlets reporting on the same Financial Times reporting. They center the human and economic cost of the strikes on Ukrainian industry, quoting Vodoviz's stark assessment that "Ukraine no longer has a steel industry" and the prime minister's $1.5 billion tax-revenue warning. They frame the attacks as deliberate targeting of a strategic sector and emphasize the toll on the more than 15,000 workers at the affected plants.

Where reporting differs

Casualty counts from the August 11 strike on Zaporizhstal diverge slightly: most sources report seven workers killed, while one fact states eight. Reports on the total number of ballistic missiles fired at Zaporizhstal over the month also vary — one fact states 17 missiles across the September 17 and earlier strikes, while another notes that September 17 alone was already the fourth hit on the plant within the month.

Background

The affected plants are Metinvest's Zaporizhstal and Kametstal, plus ArcelorMittal's Kryvyi Rih plant, in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts. Zaporizhstal has been offline since the August 11 strike that killed seven workers and wounded 21; on September 17 it was hit for the fourth time in a month, with 17 ballistic missiles reported fired at it over that period. Kametstal was hit overnight on September 5, killing five workers and wounding four, and has not operated for the past month. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih was attacked overnight on August 16, killing two and wounding 13, and has partially reduced production. Metinvest's Oleksandr Vodoviz told the Financial Times that Russian forces "knew everything about the plant" and "knew exactly where to strike," and that restoration time is unknown — anywhere from days to months or years.