In April, Zaporizhzhia Coke of Metinvest Group marks the 92nd anniversary of its founding.
The company is marking this date in a restrained manner – without large-scale celebrations, and with due regard for the realities of wartime. The team demonstrates each day that maintaining stable production is also a contribution to the country’s resilience, its economy, and its future victory.
"During times of the greatest trials, what proves decisive is not only resources or technology, but the unity of people. We have learned to operate in conditions of uncertainty, to respond swiftly to challenges, to support one another, and to maintain a shared course. This solidarity is precisely what helps us to endure, to preserve production, and to keep moving forward even in the most challenging periods,” emphasises Oleksandr BEKHTER, General Director of Zaporizhzhia Coke.
Despite the full-scale war, energy constraints, raw material instability, and staff shortages, Zaporizhzhia Coke continues to maintain its operational rhythm and demonstrates an ability to adapt rapidly to new conditions. In 2025, the company produced almost 900,000 tonnes of blast‑furnace coke, and more than 120 million tonnes of products over the entire period of its operation.
The foundation of this resilience lies in its people. Today, the company’s team comprises almost 850 specialists, who serve as its reliable backbone. It is a team of professionals united by shared values – responsibility, mutual support, and respect for work.
For Yurii IHNATENKO, an electrician at the coke shop with nearly 30 years of service, working at Zaporizhzhia Coke is a family tradition:
“Zaporizhzhia Coke is also a family story for me. My mother worked as an operator in the pitch coke shop, and my brother as a fitter in the by‑product recovery shop. So this enterprise is truly close to my heart. On the occasion of the anniversary, I would like to wish our team and enterprise continued development, modernisation, and stable operations. Because when there is work, there is confidence in the future. And this means that the plant – and indeed our entire industry – will continue to live on."
A particular source of pride for the enterprise is its “golden fund” – the retirees who, over the decades, built up the production base, shaped a culture of leadership, and passed on traditions to subsequent generations. It is precisely thanks to this continuity that Zaporizhzhia Coke remains strong today.
“Everyone, in their respective roles, has a thorough command of their work. In our line of work, the most important factors are attentiveness, professional composure, and strict adherence to all processes. We have a very close‑knit team – we support one another and work together as a team. Young people are joining the workforce, and we pass on our experience to them and provide training. There are employees whom I once trained, and who today have become my trusted colleagues. This is probably one of the greatest sources of pride in the job,” notes Anatolii KLUNICHIEV, an operator for crude benzol production at the by‑product recovery shop.
Among the employees are also those who are currently defending Ukraine. Since the start of the full‑scale invasion, 178 employees have joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with 121 of them continuing their service today. Unfortunately, the enterprise has lost 11 of its colleagues – their memory will forever remain an integral part of Zaporizhzhia Coke’ history. At the same time, 16 veterans returned to their home team following demobilisation.
Zaporizhzhia Coke remains an important part of the regional and national economy: in 2025 alone, the enterprise paid more than UAH 463 million in taxes and fees to budgets at all levels. The enterprise continues to invest systematically in its own production and occupational safety, as well as in improving workplace conditions.
To mark the anniversary, Zaporizhzhia Coke recognised employees who have made a significant contribution to the plant’s stable operation under wartime conditions In particular, the following employees received awards: Yurii Ihnatenko, electrician at the coke shop; Oleh Zarudnyi, coke oven gas operator; Oleksandr Tereshchenko, repair fitter at the tar distillation shop; Anatolii Klunichiev, crude benzol production operator at the by‑product recovery shop; and Oleksandr Sychov, repair fitter at the by‑product recovery shop.
“We come here to work with a focus on shared results, but the atmosphere within the team is no less important. When there is mutual understanding and support within a team, work becomes much easier. To mark the enterprise’s anniversary, I would like to wish all colleagues inspiration, good health, new professional achievements, and, above all, peaceful work in our Ukraine,” says Oleksandr SYCHKOV, a repair fitter at the by‑product recovery shop.
Ninety‑two years of Zaporizhzhia Coke represent a history of strength, hard work, and character. And today, the plant continues this story – together with the people who believe in the future of the enterprise, their city, and their country.
