Russian Missile Strike Partially Halts Arcelor Mittal Kryvyi Rih Operations, Kills 2 Workers

On August 16, a Russian missile strike struck ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine's premier foreign-owned steel producer, resulting in the deaths of two workers and a temporary halt to operations. Kryvyi Rih, a pivotal industrial hub in central Ukraine, has endured a series of Russian missile and drone assaults in recent months, inflicting damage on energy infrastructure and inflicting casualties.

This facility, a key player in ArcelorMittal's global operations, specializes in producing rebar and wire rod through a full-cycle metallurgical process. The missile directly targeted the plant's power grid and blast furnaces, leading to the deaths of the two employees and injuries to 13 more. Emergency services initiated search and rescue efforts and activated emergency containment protocols.

Experts are now evaluating the damage and estimating repair times. The plant primarily exports its products to the EU, Middle East, North Africa, and the United States. In 2025, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih reported a revenue of Hr. 70.6 billion ($1.6 billion) and a net loss of Hr. 8.9 billion ($199 million). The site had previously been hit by a significant Russian missile attack in 2022, which destroyed its rolling shop and claimed the life of a single worker.