Five missiles hit Zaporizhstal blast furnace shop, power and transport infrastructure, open areas – Metinvest

At dawn, Russian troops attacked the Zaporizhstal steel mill, which had halted production following a previous strike on August 11. Metinvest Group COO Oleksandr Myronenko reported that five ballistic missiles struck the blast furnace shop, power and transportation infrastructure, and open-air areas, causing damage to civilian production facilities.

He emphasized that Zaporizhstal is a civilian industrial enterprise known for producing pig iron, rolled steel for pipes, household appliances, and automotive components, and that it does not produce military products. The plant employs metallurgists, blast furnace operators, maintenance workers, and power engineers who produce steel for civilian life.

Since August 11, the plant had managed to restore and restart production multiple times, but the attack on August 27 was unprecedented in its consequences. It caused significant destruction, similar to that seen during World War II. The attack claimed lives and resulted in injuries, with eight employees killed and 26 injured. Myronenko stated that the employees on duty managed to take cover when the air raid alert sounded, but the timeline for resuming production remains uncertain as the plant continues to face destruction from the ongoing attacks.

Currently, experts are assessing the damage and losses, and determining the next steps. The previous attack on August 11 resulted in the deaths of eight employees and 26 injuries. The Russian missiles targeted the plant just two minutes after the air raid siren sounded, damaging key blast furnace production equipment, power facilities, and the plant's infrastructure.

Zaporizhstal had only experienced such extensive destruction during World War II. Despite the complete halt in production and reduced staff, Russia continued to target the civilian industrial infrastructure and personnel. Metinvest released a statement expressing concern over the systematic targeting of civilian industrial infrastructure and the people who work there.