One Ukraine out-produced third of EU’s steel. Russian strikes have now cut its output to zero
The 150-year-old industry made nothing last month after missiles wrecked almost every working blast furnace since August.
Ukraine's steel industry has completely halted production following Russian missile strikes that destroyed blast furnaces at plants across the country, according to Oleksandr Kalenkov, president of Ukrmetalurgprom association. Prior to the conflict, Ukraine was responsible for producing over 42 million tons of steel annually, accounting for more than a third of the EU's annual output.
The war has gradually taken its toll on the industry, with Ukraine losing about a third of its capacity in 2014 and another 40% in 2022 when the Mariupol production site was lost. The destruction of the blast furnaces is a catastrophic blow to Ukraine's economy, as the steel industry was a crucial contributor to exports and GDP, generating over a third of the country's foreign currency.
Written by urgent.news from Euromaidan Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
