Russian Strikes Leave Ukraine’s Largest Steel Plant Unable to Restart
ArcelorMittal said on September 25 that four Russian missile strikes had made its Kryvyi Rih steel and mining complex unsafe to restart. Five employees were killed and 17 injured, the company said.
The site was hit four times over five weeks, most recently on September 21. The company reported extensive damage to production facilities.
ArcelorMittal has informed the Ukrainian government of its decision and is discussing the plant’s future with officials.
Preserving assets without a restart timetable
ArcelorMittal plans to preserve the industrial infrastructure so production could potentially restart after security conditions improve. It expects to record an approximately $1 billion non-cash impairment related mainly to damaged property, plant and equipment.
ArcelorMittal has not described the decision as a permanent closure or provided a timetable for reassessing operations.
The company has not announced how many employees may be furloughed or laid off. It also remains unclear whether Ukraine’s government could provide financial, energy or security assistance sufficient to support a partial restart.
A complete independent assessment of the physical damage has not been published.
Steel output and wartime export losses
The Kryvyi Rih complex produced approximately 1.7 million metric tons of steel in 2025, while its mines produced about 7.6 million tons of iron ore.
Ukraine’s steel industry was already operating below pre-invasion capacity because of damaged plants, electricity shortages, disrupted transportation and the loss of facilities in Russian-occupied territory.
Recent Russian attacks have increasingly affected factories, warehouses, rail infrastructure, logistics companies and Black Sea ports. Other major Ukrainian steel facilities have also suspended production following strikes.
Steel represents roughly 15% of Ukraine’s exports, making the sector an important source of foreign currency and tax revenue.
A prolonged shutdown could reduce Ukrainian exports, eliminate industrial employment and weaken the domestic supply chain needed for reconstruction. It also suggests that attacks on economic infrastructure may be intended to impose costs that continue even after individual facilities are repaired.
Sources
- ArcelorMittal official regulatory announcement — September 25, 2026, 08:30 CET.
- Reuters: Russian strikes shut Ukraine’s biggest steelmaker — September 25, 2026, 06:26 UTC.
- Financial Times: ArcelorMittal to shutter Ukraine plant after Russian strikes kill workers — September 25, 2026; publication time not displayed publicly.
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