Zaporizhstal continues to finance support programmes for employees whose homes have been damaged due to hostilities.
Amid the war, Zaporizhzhia's housing stock has sustained severe damage. According to the local authorities, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 1,300 apartment buildings and more than 2,600 private houses have been damaged or destroyed. The extent of destruction varies ‒ from shattered windows and damaged roofs to homes completely destroyed, which underlines the relevance and social importance of programmes aimed at housing recovery. On the initiative of Metinvest Group, a support programme for employees whose homes have been damaged by hostile shelling has been operating in Zaporizhzhia since the beginning of the full-scale war.
"Home is more than walls and a roof: it is a place of power, recovery, and internal support. Therefore, supporting our employees whose homes were affected by shelling is not just financial assistance, but a way to help people regain their sense of safety and the energy to move forward. To date, 235 Zaporizhstal employees have received financial support to repair their homes. This programme will continue for as long as there is a need," said Taras SHEVCHENKO, Acting General Director of Metinvest Group's Zaporizhstal, Hero of Ukraine.
As a reminder, at the programme's initial implementation stage, from 2022, emergency repair teams from Zaporizhstal ensured prompt restoration of the most critical elements of damaged homes. In particular, they dismantled destroyed structures and installed temporary coverings for window and door frames. Subsequently, the programme was transformed into targeted financial support, which allows for a more flexible and effective response to employees' needs, depending on the extent of damage to their homes. The programme covers all employees of Metinvest Group's enterprises in Zaporizhzhia, namely: Zaporizhstal, Zaporizhcoke, Zaporizhzhia Refractories, and Metinvest Machinery (formerly Zaporizhzhia Casting and Mechanical Works).
Last year, assistance from the plant was received by Olena Merzhynska, a lead process engineer of the cold rolling shop at Zaporizhstal. On the night of 1 May 2025, an enemy drone struck between a nine-storey building and her four-storey building. All five windows in her flat were blown out, and two balconies were destroyed.
"The unmanned aerial vehicle fell between two buildings – a nine-storey one and our four-storey one. In the nine-storey building, on the side where the drone fell, all the windows were blown out, and the same happened to us. We have five windows – all of them were smashed and torn from their frames, and two balconies were completely destroyed. It was a shock: you walk around the flat, glass crunches under your feet, flowers are scattered across the room, and you do not understand where to begin," Olena recalls the harrowing minutes after the strike.
The family stayed in a shelter until morning. Afterwards, colleagues and friends came to help: they temporarily sealed the windows with plastic film, and later boarded them up. The enterprise provided financial support for restoring the home. Within a few weeks, new windows were installed in the flat and the balconies were repaired.
"I immediately contacted the head of the trade union committee of our division and showed photos of the damage. The plant responded quickly and provided substantial assistance. Thanks to this support, within just a few weeks we already had new windows installed," said Olena.
