The Metinvest Group, as part of Rinat Akhmetov's "Steel Front" military initiative, has delivered a new batch of aid worth over 16 million UAH to the 12th Special Operations Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, "Azov." This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the initiative's own statement. The delivery is the latest in a series of systematic transfers that SCM businesses have been making to units of Ukraine's Defense Forces throughout the war.

What was included in the aid package

The composition of the delivered equipment covers several functional areas. The brigade received three minibuses and three trucks, and among the special equipment — a KRAZ dump truck and a KAMAZ fire truck. Separately, the package included an excavator worth about 6 million UAH. As the initiative explains, at the front lines such equipment is constantly used for transporting personnel and gear, delivering necessary supplies, and carrying out engineering work: the excavator allows large volumes of earthworks to be completed faster, while truck transport is needed for moving heavy equipment and materials.

Autonomy, communications, and robotic systems

The second block of deliveries is aimed at ensuring the autonomous operation of units. The military received generators worth a total of about 2 million UAH, Starlink kits with EcoFlow and Bluetti charging stations, as well as radio stations, tablets, and laptops. According to the initiative, such equipment allows maintaining communications and powering equipment in conditions where there is no stable access to the electrical grid. The package also included two quadcopters and the "Targan" ground robotic complex, which, as noted, allow part of the tasks to be performed remotely and reduce risks to personnel.

Mettinvest's position and the logic of "Steel Front"

Commenting on the transfer, head of the General Director's Office of the Metinvest Group, Alexander Vodoviz, stated that the company is going through one of the most difficult periods in its history: plant shutdowns as a result of strikes, closed ports, losses. "However, even at times like these, we understand that Ukraine's future largely depends on the Defense Forces, and that is precisely why we continue systematic support," he emphasized. According to him, the transport, ground robotic complex, drones, and other equipment strengthen the brigade and allow it to "continue to respond asymmetrically to the enemy and defend Ukraine."

Assessment from the "Azov" brigade

In the 12th National Guard Brigade "Azov," it was noted that in the fifth year of the war, the volume of volunteer support is gradually decreasing, and for the unit it is especially important to have partners who remain systematically by its side. A representative of the brigade emphasized that Metinvest had helped "Azov" before and continues to help now, meeting the unit's specific needs — from transport and engineering equipment to communications, drones, and autonomous power.

Scale of systematic support

"Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front" is an initiative that consolidates the aid of SCM businesses to Ukraine's Defense Forces, and the Metinvest Group is one of its key participants. Support for "Azov" units is named one of the systematic directions of this work. According to available data, in 2025 the total volume of aid to the 1st National Guard Corps "Azov" from Metinvest reached 600 million UAH, which makes the current 16 million UAH transfer another link in a long-term, rather than one-off, assistance program.