Ukraine’s Steel Sector Devastated by Russian Missile Strikes, Threatening Jobs and Defense

If the steel plants stay closed, hundreds of thousands could lose their livelihoods, triggering migration that would reverberate far beyond Ukraine, warned Zinchenko. He cautioned that “a humanitarian catastrophe is looming.”

The demise of steel production would also gravely undermine Ukraine’s defence capabilities and hinder post‑war reconstruction.

Steel remains essential for manufacturing military equipment, constructing shelters, and repairing the countless structures damaged by Russia.

Russia has defended its strikes on the steel facilities on the grounds that the plants in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih were producing military hardware.

“We tried to restart Zaporizhstal. We fired up a furnace, and it ran for ten hours before another air strike hit,” Oleksandr Vodoviz of Metinvest told a conference in Kyiv.

He added that there was no point in spending money on recovery until the situation became clearer.

Even if production were to resume, Ukrainian steelmakers would not be able to operate normally anytime soon.

Russian attacks on railways have made moving steel within Ukraine difficult and hazardous, while strikes on ports have turned exports into a perilous gamble.

“Ports have essentially been blocked,” said Oleksandr Myronenko. “Every ship is at risk of attack, and the odds are 50‑50 – either you make it or you don’t.”

New EU steel‑import quotas that took effect on 1 July could exacerbate Ukraine’s challenges.

Denys Maksyshko, a Zaporizhstal worker, remains optimistic.

His colleagues are working to revive the plant, clearing rubble and repairing whatever can be salvaged.

“This is similar to what the military do in the trenches. Ordinary people are fighting to keep the factory alive like soldiers.”

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