Archive · 25 Sep 2026
Russian Strikes Force Ukraine’s Largest Steel Plant to Shut
Russian attacks damaged Ukraine’s biggest steel plant.
The company said four strikes in five weeks made it unsafe to keep operating.
Five workers were killed at the plant.
The facility is in Kryvyi Rih in southeastern Ukraine.
It produced large amounts of steel and iron ore in 2025.
The company expects to record a charge of about $1 billion because of the shutdown.
ArcelorMittal is discussing the plant’s future with the Ukrainian government.
The company hopes to preserve the site so production might restart after peace returns.
Other Ukrainian steel plants have also been hit by attacks.
ArcelorMittal said it could not safely restart Ukraine’s largest steel plant after four strikes in five weeks.
The attacks extensively damaged the Kryvyi Rih facility and killed five workers.
The plant produced 1.7 million metric tons of steel and 7.6 million tons of iron ore in 2025.
ArcelorMittal expects an approximately $1 billion non-cash impairment charge from the shutdown.
The closure adds pressure to Ukraine’s steel sector, which accounts for 15% of the country’s exports.
- Who
- ArcelorMittal and its ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih subsidiary; Russian forces carried out the reported strikes.
- What
- ArcelorMittal shut down operations at Ukraine’s largest steel plant after missile and drone attacks caused extensive damage and killed five workers.
- When
- The decision was reported on Friday, September 25, after four strikes in five weeks.
- Where
- The plant is in Kryvyi Rih in southeastern Ukraine.
- Why
- The company said safe and sustainable operations were no longer possible because of the damage and continuing attacks.
Ukrainian and international accounts
Russian government account
Whether civilians and civilian sites were deliberately targeted
Ukrainian and international accounts
Ukraine’s president described attacks as deliberate and savage, while the United Nations reported at least 200 civilian deaths in September and damage to homes, hospitals, shops and workplaces.
Russian government account
Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians and said its overnight strikes targeted Ukrainian defense-industry facilities, logistics centers and vessels used by Ukraine’s armed forces.
Economic effect of the shutdown
Ukrainian and international accounts
ArcelorMittal and Ukrainian officials described the closure as a major setback for a steel sector already under pressure from Russian attacks and European Union restrictions.
Russian government account
A Kepler Cheuvreux analyst said the effect on ArcelorMittal and global steel markets would likely be limited because the plant had operated at significantly reduced capacity since 2022.
- Company
- ArcelorMittal
- Facility
- ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih
- Steel output in 2025
- 1.7 million metric tons
- Iron ore output in 2025
- 7.6 million tons
- Workers killed
- Five
- Expected impairment charge
- Approximately $1 billion
- Share of Ukraine’s exports
- Ukraine’s steel sector accounts for 15%