Ukraine produced no steel in September after Russian strikes devastated industry, association says
Ukraine produced no steel in September after Russian missile strikes destroyed nearly all of the country's remaining operational blast furnaces, according to the head of the Ukrainian steel industry association Ukrmetallurgprom.
"What is happening now is not simply a difficult or critical situation. It is a tragic situation, when an industry with more than 150 years of history produced zero steel last month," association president Oleksandr Kalenkov told Ukrainian Radio on Oct. 15.
The figure has not been independently verified.
Kalenkov said Russian ballistic and cruise missile attacks since August had devastated steelmaking facilities, leaving the industry unable to produce pig iron needed for conventional steelmaking.
Ukraine produced approximately 7.5 million metric tons of steel in 2025, he said. Before Russia's full-scale invasion, the country's mining and metals sector accounted for more than one-third of its exports and contributed up to 12% of GDP.
The collapse follows repeated Russian strikes on some of Ukraine's largest industrial plants.
Zaporizhstal, a major steelworks in Zaporizhzhia, has been shut down since Aug. 11 following a Russian missile attack that killed seven employees and injured 21. Its owner, Metinvest, said the facility was struck by 17 ballistic missiles over the following month.
Another Metinvest facility, Kametstal in Kamianske, suspended operations after a Sept. 5 strike that killed five workers and injured four.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine's largest steel plant, said on Sept. 25 that it could not resume production after four Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Kalenkov warned that the shutdowns threaten billions of euros in export revenue, substantial tax receipts and thousands of jobs, with consequences extending far beyond steel plants themselves.
He said preserving skilled workforces was now the industry's most urgent challenge, arguing that rebuilding industrial facilities would be of limited use if experienced employees had already left.
The association is seeking government support, including tax relief for idled plants and continued eligibility for military mobilization exemptions for essential employees.
Kalenkov also said the European Commission had requested information about the industry's wider economic impact, raising hopes of potential international support. No new funding has been announced.
The industry leader warned that prolonged shutdowns could severely damage the economies of industrial cities and undermine Ukraine's ability to produce steel for its eventual reconstruction.