As part of Rinat Akhmetov’s “Steel Front” military initiative, Metinvest has delivered 13 all-terrain vehicles to units defending Ukraine’s sovereignty on Zaporizhzhia front.
Targeted support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces across all front-line sectors is a core principle of Rinat Akhmetov’s “Steel Front” military initiative. Each tranche of aid provided by the Company responds to a specific request from the Armed Forces: to protect each serviceman, enhance mobility, and provide essential supplies at the crucial moment. Steel shelters, protection for combat vehicles and air defence systems, specialised equipment, backup power sources, and vehicles are among the many items that Metinvest consistently supplies to the front line to enable defenders to operate effectively in the most intense sectors of the battlefield.
In late May, the Company delivered 13 new four-wheel-drive pickup trucks to combat brigades defending the country on Zaporizhzhia front. The vehicles were selected with due regard to the real conditions of front-line operation. A robust design with high load capacity, substantial ground clearance, four-wheel drive with a low range and differential lock all ensure reliable performance both on roads and in fully off-road conditions. Such specifications are not a luxury, but a necessity where the crew’s lives depend on the vehicle’s off-road capability.
Taras Shevchenko, Acting General Director of Zaporizhstal, personally handed over the keys to 13 Peugeot Landtrek vehicles to representatives of the 16th Separate Support Brigade, the 260th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade “Khortytsia”, the 1223rd Separate Support Battalion, the 433rd Separate Unmanned Systems Battalion, the “Shershni” Unmanned Systems Battalion of the 162nd Separate Mechanised Brigade, and the 128th Separate Heavy Mechanised Brigade “Dyke Pole”. The Company allocated UAH 16.5 million for the procurement of pickup trucks for the Armed Forces.
“A vehicle at the front is not merely a means of transport; it is an instrument of survival and victory. A reliable off-road vehicle enables the evacuation of the wounded under fire, the timely delivery of ammunition, rapid manoeuvre of units, and swift withdrawal after mission completion. Metinvest does not merely supply equipment – it provides defenders with greater capacity to act effectively and to return safely. There is a constant demand from the Armed Forces for such vehicles, and we are responding to it,” emphasised Taras SHEVCHENKO, Acting General Director of Zaporizhstal, Metinvest Group, Hero of Ukraine.
As noted by a serviceman of the 260th Separate Territorial Defence Brigade “Khortytsia”, call sign “Biker”, the vehicles’ key advantages are their manoeuvrability and cross-country capability, enabling high speeds and helping to evade FPV drone strikes. At the front line, such assistance is indispensable. “We are sincerely grateful to Metinvest for its consistent support. Vehicles are not merely equipment: they enable more effective execution of combat missions, troop rotations, ammunition supply, and the evacuation of the wounded. Our battalion has distinguished itself on Zaporizhzhia front – one of the most intense sectors of the frontline in Ukraine. We are sincerely grateful to all those who care and to the responsible businesses that are helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces defend our homeland, Ukraine,” emphasised Jim, a driver with the unmanned systems unit of the ‘Shershni’ Unmanned Systems Battalion, 162nd Separate Mechanised Brigade.
Over the four years of the full-scale war, Metinvest spent about UAH 10.1 billion to help the country and its citizens, including UAH 7.3 billion for the needs of the army as part of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front military initiative. Overall, the aid has reached more than 1.1 million Ukrainians.
