“In Ukraine, There Are Metallurgists Who Continue to Work Under Any Circumstances.”
Journalists from Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest daily newspaper, visited Zaporizhstal to see how the plant is managing to manufacture products, including defence ones, near the front line under shelling; has adapted to power cuts and spare-part shortages; and is contributing to Ukraine’s victory. Below is an adapted version of the original article.Metallurgy and heavy industry are the backbone of Ukraine’s economy, particularly in war conditions. At present, however, there is a shortage of workers, who are needed at the front. While the steel plant in Zaporizhzhia has lost 20% of its workers, it continues to smelt steel under artillery shelling.Zaporizhstal’s blast furnaces have been stopped twice in its history: during World War II, when the Germans occupied Zaporizhzhia; and in 2022, when Russian troops were stationed a few kilometres away from the city.Background. The metallurgical industry is associated with minesIn Ukraine, much of the heavy industry is concentrated in the east