Steel production in Ukraine has dropped to near-zero following a series of strikes on metallurgical enterprises, according to an Al Jazeera report published by RBC-Ukraine. TV channel journalists visited the Kametstal plant in Kamianske, which ranks among the top three metallurgical plants in Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to the publication, all three major Metinvest group enterprises have been halted in recent weeks as a result of the strikes. The situation, an Al Jazeera interviewee noted, is critical for the country's entire economy, since iron and steel accounted for over 30% of Ukrainian exports before the full-scale war.

Strike on Kametstal: destroyed blast furnace and killed workers

The Kametstal plant suspended operations in September following a ballistic missile strike. As a result of the attack, five plant workers were reportedly killed, and one of the blast furnaces was destroyed. "Disaster has struck us. A ballistic missile hit right here, directly into the blast furnace," the plant's general director told journalists. According to the publication, the attack caused millions of dollars in damage to the enterprise, and restoration could take months or even years.

Scale of shutdown: three major Metinvest plants idle

According to Al Jazeera, all three major Metinvest enterprises in Ukrainian-controlled territory have been halted in recent weeks. Following weeks of massive attacks, steel production in the country has dropped to near-zero, according to the publication's source. Thus, the shutdown affected not just a single facility, but key industry capacities, making the situation systemic for the industrial sector, the TV channel assesses.

People at the production site: shelters and fear for the future

Female plant workers told journalists that they sometimes descend to shelters two or three times a day. According to them, people are simultaneously worried about their own lives, their jobs, and the future of the enterprise. The report notes that even under conditions of partial production suspension, staff continue to stay at the facility, underlining both the social and production significance of the plant for the region.

Economic consequences: GDP decline and threat to foreign currency revenue

As the publication notes, Ukraine's economy has already reacted to the shutdown of metallurgical plants: this caused a 2.4% drop in GDP. The metallurgy crisis threatens not only a reduction in steel production, but also the loss of jobs, foreign exchange earnings, the tax base, and the industrial platform upon which Al Jazeera estimates the country's future recovery depends. Thus, strikes on metallurgical assets affect not only the industry, but macroeconomic indicators as a whole.

Prospects for recovery

According to RBC-Ukraine citing Al Jazeera, damage from the September strike on Kametstal is estimated in the millions of dollars, and the timeframe for restoring the destroyed blast furnace and resuming the full production cycle could take months or even years. Against this backdrop, the publication reports that the industry requires massive investment and security guarantees to return to pre-war volumes, when metallurgy accounted for more than a third of Ukrainian exports.