On May 3, at 5:20 p.m., a bus carrying workers from Avdiivka Coke and Metivnest-Promservice in Donetsk region was fired upon by Russian troops. As a result of a direct hit on the vehicle, 7 plant employees were killed and around 20 were seriously wounded. The wounded are being provided with necessary care at the Avdiivka municipal hospital. Information about the condition of the victims is being updated.

Metinvest expresses its condolences to the families of the deceased. The Group will provide all needed support and financial assistance to the families of all of the affected employees.

Metinvest Group condemns the actions of the invading Russian forces and underlines that the shelling took place just after the completion of a shift, when civilians were waiting at the bus stop for the bus that was supposed to take them home. These are cynical and premeditated actions that directed fire on innocent citizens with families and children. These people did not surrender their city in 2014 and continue to support Ukraine and its defenders.

The shelling of peaceful cities, companies and innocent people is tantamount to the genocide of the Ukrainian people by the Russian Federation. The world is witnessing this in many Ukrainian cities, especially in Mariupol, where fierce fighting has been ongoing since February 24, infrastructure is being destroyed, and women, the elderly, and children are dying.

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