Since the start of the full-scale war, the Metinvest Group has allocated UAH 5.2 bln to support Ukraine’s Defence Forces. All assistance is provided free of charge as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative.

Despite the losses the business has suffered amid the full-scale war, Metinvest remains a reliable pillar for the state and its citizens. For the fourth year in a row, strengthening the combat capability of the Ukrainian army has been one of the company’s priorities. To this end, Metinvest has set up steel production for frontline needs, as well as the supply of essential machinery and equipment. 

Yuriy RYZHENKOV, Chief Executive Officer of Metinvest Group:

"Every day, defenders – including thousands of Metinvest employees – give up the most precious thing for the sake of Ukraine’s future victory. That is why, in the midst of war, the company is focused on the key mission: to sustain the national economy and strengthen the country’s defence capabilities. From the very first days of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest has been providing systematic support to the army. We have launched the production of military-purpose goods and are working on further expanding it. We have established regular deliveries of equipment and specialised gear to the frontline. We also take care of the defenders from within our workforce: we provide them with everything they need while serving and do everything possible to ensure that, after returning from the war, they can live and work in decent conditions."

Steel that protects

Metinvest steel, once a material for building peaceful structures around the world – from bridges to skyscrapers – has turned into real armour for Ukrainian soldiers in wartime. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the company has launched steel production for the frontline.

One of the most important developments by specialists is the so-called kryivkas – special mobile shelters. Made from corrugated steel, they resemble capsules that are installed deep underground to serve as both protection from enemy shelling and as field accommodation for defenders. So far, Ukrainian Armed Forces units across various sections of the frontline have received 805 kryivkas from Metinvest.

Later, the company refined the concept, recognising that steel shelters have significant potential. Based on these structures, Metinvest is building command posts and underground field hospitals. This year, the company completed the construction of its second underground medical stabilisation point in a new NATO Role 2 configuration. Metinvest has allocated over UAH 21 mln for the production, transportation, installation, and outfitting of the hospital, as well as for equipping it with household appliances and all essential life-support systems needed in field conditions.

Metinvest also created the country’s first underground training hub, developed under the Steel Dream concept for Ukraine’s reconstruction and as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front military initiative. And for civilians in Borodianka, in the Kyiv region, an underground steel bunker of a new type – “Citadel” – was built. These modular steel structures can be adapted to different conditions and sites – schools, hospitals, industrial facilities, residential areas and frontline territories.

Metinvest has produced 300 steel shields to protect equipment serving Ukrainian soldiers: Abrams, Bradley, Т-64, Т-72, МТ-LB. This year, the company’s specialists have manufactured and installed a three-tonne armour to shield the key elements of the Patriot system, which is modified according to the equipment model to provide maximum protection for soldiers against FPV drones.

Metinvest steel is also used to produce Lancet catchers, hedgehogs, mine-clearing trawls, mobile buggies, mini-bastions, protective gear and other items for the army.

Among Metinvest’s first developments for defenders were plates for bulletproof vests. Since the start of the full-scale war, the company has produced or purchased abroad 150,000 units of gear, as well as 25,000 helmets and hard hats. They have been supplied to Metinvest employees serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as other soldiers.

Together with the military, Metinvest is working on building defensive lines. More than 200 kilometres of fortifications have been built on the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia fronts. And to clear mines from frontline areas, 30 mine-clearing ploughs manufactured by Metinvest have been sent.

The company is committed to providing the army with reconnaissance, surveillance, communications and power supply equipment. In particular, the military has received more than 8,230 reconnaissance drones, 2,000 thermal imagers and units of high-precision surveillance optics, 450 backup power systems, 875 pieces of communications equipment, 705 vehicles – including ambulances – and, for refuelling them, 1.53 million litres of fuel.

Metinvest has supplied the army with 31,500 first-aid kits and tourniquets, and has allocated almost UAH 26 mln to develop tactical medicine in Ukraine in partnership with the PULSE charity foundation.

In addition to the company, Metinvest employees themselves make a significant contribution to supporting the army. Volunteer groups have been set up at the plants, which since the first days of the full-scale invasion have been collecting and delivering aid shipments to fighters on the front line: camouflage nets, treats, warm clothing and other essentials. Regular blood donations to help save the lives of wounded servicemen and civilians are organised.

An ecosystem for veterans

After returning from the front, Metinvest also supports Ukrainian defenders, helping them adapt to civilian life and work. To achieve this, the company has built an entire ecosystem based on the principles of accountability at all levels of management, consistency and internal fairness.

All business processes at Metinvest are being adapted to accommodate both returning employees and newly hired veterans. The company is ready to employ defenders in modern engineering and technical roles, and, if needed, to provide free retraining, skills upgrades and even higher education at Metinvest Polytechnic, its mining and metallurgy university. More than 50 war veterans have already taken advantage of the opportunity to enrol at the university on preferential terms. Among them are defenders of Mariupol and Azovstal. 

Veterans are also offered physical and psychological rehabilitation at the company’s expense, extended medical insurance for the first year after their return, and the team is trained in sensitive communication with demobilised colleagues. Metinvest’s total budget for veteran adaptation in 2025 amounts to USD 550 ths.

In the regions where it operates, a number of initiatives supported by Metinvest are aimed at reintegrating former soldiers. One of the most successful projects is “Free Waves”, a swimming-based rehabilitation programme featuring Olympian Denys Sylantyev. Thanks to Metinvest’s funding, servicemen and veterans can visit the swimming pool free of charge to recover from injuries. The project, which operates in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih, was launched this year in Kamianske as well.

The company also supports the establishment of veteran hubs in cities. In one of the largest – “Veteran PRO. Zaporizhzhia” – specialists from the Administrative Services Centre, the Pension Fund, the Employment Centre, as well as lawyers and psychologists, are at work. In addition, in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih, the “Speak up, Veteran” project –  a platform for open dialogue between veterans and specialists from various fields – has been running for a year.

Metinvest’s programme to support war veterans is among the best in Ukraine and has been recognised by independent experts at both international and national levels.