#Zaporizhstal

Ukraine's metallurgy faces a deep crisis due to port shutdowns, a 97% drop in sea exports, and Ukrzaliznytsia raising freight tariffs by 30%.

Metinvest CEO Yuriy Ryzhenkov stated that the EU's reduction of steel import quotas by over 50% threatens the survival of Ukraine's metallurgy amid the war.

Metinvest management stated that current state support programs fail to match industrial destruction scales and urged a review of monopoly tariffs.

A massive missile strike on the Zaporizhstal plant has caused casualties and a complete halt in production, threatening 50,000 jobs and the regional economy.

In September 2026, Ukrainian metallurgy experienced a week without steel smelting for the first time in 100 years due to Russian strikes. Metinvest reported plant destructions and billions in losses.

Steel output in Ukraine in August 2026 fell by 57.3%; Zaporizhstal and Kametstal were fully shut down after 22 missile strikes. The crisis threatens 6.2 billion dollars in currency earnings and the employment of 270 thousand people.

The August–September shelling and port blockades halted more than 70% of Ukraine's steel production. Output fell by half, rail exports by 2.5 times. The industry is in a "perfect storm."

On September 12, Russia struck Zaporizhstal with ballistic missiles for the third time in a month. Four missiles hit the non-operating enterprise, four workers were injured, and the damage is preliminarily assessed as critical.

Ukrainian metallurgy faces double pressure: Russian strikes on plants and electricity that is more expensive than in Europe. The government has introduced auctions for direct contracts, but the mechanism needs refinement.

On August 27, Zaporizhstal was hit by five missiles and production was halted. MP Magomedov warned: without urgent decisions by the Cabinet of Ministers, Ukraine could lose its metallurgy by spring — losses are estimated at $1 billion in exports and 17 billion hryvnias in the budget.

On the night of August 27, Russia again struck Zaporizhstal with missiles, hitting the same spot as the previous deadly shelling. The plant is fully halted, and Ukraine's metallurgy is on the brink.

The strikes of August 11 and 16 halted Zaporizhstal and ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih — 72% of steel production in Ukraine. By the end of 2026, output could fall by 2 million tonnes.

🚨 Tragedy in Zaporizhzhia: 7 dead and 21 injured following a strike on 'Zaporizhstal'. Production halted, infrastructure destroyed. Ukraine continues to fight Russian attacks. #Zaporizhstal #Ukraine #Metinvest