Four killed, including medic, in Russian strikes on Donetsk region

Russian missile strikes on September 12, 2023, targeted two major Ukrainian steel plants, resulting in two deaths and six injuries. The Zaporizhstal plant in Zaporizhzhia was hit by four ballistic missiles, injuring four employees and causing extensive damage. This marks the third ballistic missile strike on the plant within a month, with previous attacks occurring on August 11 and August 27.

Zaporizhstal, which produced pig iron and steel for civilian use, had not resumed production since the prior strikes, according to Metinvest, the plant's operator.

The attack on Zaporizhstal inflicted damage to its blast furnace, open-hearth shops, energy systems, internal networks, and logistics infrastructure. One injured worker recovered at the site without hospitalization, while three others received treatment at a hospital for moderate injuries. The escalating intensity of the strikes, as described by Metinvest Chief Operating Officer Oleksandr Myronenko, has led to a critical assessment of the damage.

Meanwhile, the ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih plant in Kryvyi Rih, Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, was also targeted by a Russian missile overnight, resulting in the deaths of two employees from contractor companies and injuries to two plant workers. The facility, described as a civilian mining and metallurgical enterprise, suffered damage to its production and auxiliary facilities.

Rescue and search operations are ongoing at the site, with specialists assessing the extent of the damage and recovery timelines. This marks the latest in a series of strikes on ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, including a December 2022 incident that killed one employee and destroyed a rolling mill, and an August 2026 attack that killed two plant employees, one contractor, and injured 18 others, impacting key energy and blast-furnace facilities.

The attacks on these two Ukrainian steel plants were part of a broader wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine on September 12, killing at least 11 people and injuring 96 others. The attacks primarily targeted Odesa Oblast, with additional strikes reported in Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, and Kharkiv oblasts.