9/18/2026

Brussels must take into account that Ukraine is at war: Oleksandr Vodoviz on the conditions needed for Ukrainian steelmaking to remain competitive in the EU market – for Strefa Biznesu

Oleksandr Vodoviz, Head of the CEO’s Office at Metinvest Group, recently spoke to the Polish business portal Strefa Biznesu about the critical state of Ukraine’s steel industry, production stoppages caused by Russian attacks, cost optimisation, dependence on imports and new EU trade restrictions.Will Ukraine’s steel industry survive?– Russia has once again attacked the Zaporizhstal steelworks. What is the situation now, and is there any chance of restoring production?– The situation is indeed very difficult. Ukraine has three major steelmaking enterprises: ArcelorMittal in Kryvyi Rih, Kamet Steel in the Dnipropetrovsk region and Zaporizhstal. These are integrated steel plants using conventional iron ore-based steelmaking technologies. Following the latest attacks, only one enterprise remains operational – Kamet Steel – which is running at 40% of capacity.[Clarification: the interview took place before the Russian attack on Kamet Steel on 5 September, which killed five people and injur

History

9/18/2026

Творці української ідентичності: Євген Патон – зодчий моста у майбутнє

Євген Патон недарма так вправно ладнав із металом – адже й сам мав сталевий норов. Завдяки йому витримав усі випробування долі, доклався до перемоги над Третім Рейхом та з’єднав береги Дніпра першим у світі суцільнозварним мостом довжиною понад 1500 метрів.Уявіть собі Ніццу 1870 року. Весна. Лагідно світить сонце, зігріваючи омите морем місто, а його мешканці вже готуються до перших спекотних днів. Саме тут 5 березня на світ з’явився великий український вчений, котрий незабаром стане легендою електрозварювання та мостобудування.Перший гартВ кожній хаті своя й правда, і сила, і воля. І казки також свої – тож замість фантастичних оповідей про Котигорошка Євген Оскарович зростав на спогадах батька – дипломата й сина піхотного генерала. Підтримуючи культ освіти та праці, поважний сановник оповідав синові про дива інженерії – і цим ще в дитинстві визначив його життєвий шлях.«Мій вибір був зроблений твердо: я буду будувати мости»Євген ПатонСказано – зроблено. Однак, французька освіта не вла

Breaking News

9/17/2026

Russia Attempts to Disrupt Zaporizhstal’s Recovery: Plant Suffers Fourth Ballistic Missile Attack in a Month

The plant, which was shut down following enemy ballistic missile strikes on 11 August, has been hit again. In the early hours of 17 September, russia struck Zaporizhstal with two ballistic missiles. The strikes hit the industrial sites of the plant’s workshops, causing significant damage to engineering and railway infrastructure. There were no fatalities, while one employee was hospitalised.Oleksandr MYRONENKO, chief operating officer of Metinvest Group, commented: “The aggressor country has launched a total of 17 ballistic missiles at Zaporizhstal since August. This is already the fourth attack in just over a month, amounting to systematic terror against Ukrainian industry and its people. russia continues to wage war against civilians and deliberately destroy production facilities that underpin the viability of the Ukrainian economy, provide jobs for thousands of people in Zaporizhzhia and produce Ukrainian steel. Repeated strikes on a plant that has already been shut down are an att

Safety

9/16/2026

Metinvest’s Northern Iron Ore conducted drills to deal with the aftermath of hostilities

The daily threats posed by the war are shaping training plans at Metinvest’s facilities. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, training sessions on dealing with the aftermath of hostilities and managing risks during wartime have been added to the list of regular drills at the Kryvyi Rih mining and processing plants. The latest drill took place at Northern Iron Ore. Staff from the Railway Transport Department (RTD) and representatives of the relevant services practised procedures in the event of a potential total power cut, a fire, an employee injury and the discovery of UAV debris.The drill took place on the premises of one of the plant’s RTD stations. Its aim was to test the staff’s readiness to respond in the event of an emergency, as well as the coordination between operational subdivisions and services. A total of 26 people took part in the drill, including 15 RTD employees, along with representatives from the security company, the paramilitary fire brigade, and the plant’s

Interview

9/16/2026

“There is no safety margin left.” How russian attacks, the port blockade and EU protectionism have pushed the steel industry to the brink of survival – Metinvest COO Oleksandr Myronenko for Forbes

Over the past year, Metinvest’s production costs have increased by 30%. Of the foreign markets still accessible to the Group, only the EU remains, and it is restricting steel imports. Meanwhile, of the Group’s operating assets in Ukraine, only Central Iron Ore and Northern Iron Ore remain operational, both running at 50% capacity. Metinvest Chief Operating Officer Oleksandr Myronenko spoke to Forbes Ukraine about how the Group plans to navigate the crisis.For Metinvest, 2026 has been one of the worst years in its history. Metinvest is Ukraine’s largest privately owned company and is controlled by the country’s wealthiest businessman, Rinat Akhmetov.The EU, the Group’s key market, is restricting imports of Ukrainian steel and has introduced the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). In August and September, russia launched attacks on the Group’s Kamet Steel and Zaporizhstal plants, forcing them to suspend operations. In addition, russia has blocked Ukrainian seaports. According to