Russian missile attacks cripple three major Ukrainian steel plants, killing 17 workers

In early September, Russian ballistic missiles hit three of Ukraine's biggest steel producers—two owned by Metinvest and one by ArcelorMittal—in the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The attacks killed 17 workers and knocked out facilities that account for roughly 90% of the nation's steel output. Oleksandr Vodoviz, head of the CEO’s office at Metinvest, said the missiles were aimed at the plants' blast furnaces and that the combined workforce exceeds 15,000 people.

He added that the timeline for restoring production is uncertain, ranging from days to years. Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhii Koretskyi warned that the loss could shave about $1.5 billion from tax revenues, while President Volodymyr Zelensky highlighted a 27-billion-euro military budget shortfall and appealed for more aid from allies. The strikes are part of a broader Russian campaign targeting Ukraine's infrastructure and industrial capacity.