The world’s largest steelmaker, ArcelorMittal, said it can no longer safely run its huge mill in Ukraine. Russia launched its heaviest attack on the country so far on Friday. The strikes brought a major economic loss and killed seven people in Kyiv, including a 14-year-old boy.
A worker at the Ukrainian plant said it was “impossible to continue” after four strikes in five weeks. The attacks caused severe damage to the mill and killed five employees.
“We regret to inform you that we have arrived at the decision that we are no longer able to operate ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih with safety,” said Mauro Longobardo, the plant’s CEO.
Heavy blow to Ukraine’s steel industry
The shutdown adds pressure to Ukraine’s steel industry, a key part of the economy that accounts for 15% of the country’s exports.
ArcelorMittal expects the closure to lead to a non-cash loss of nearly $1 billion. The plant has about 12,500 employees and 3,500 contractors. Managers are working with government officials to protect the site and support affected workers.
Metinvest, a major rival, has faced similar outages. It halted production at its Kamet pig iron and steel plant after a ballistic missile strike.
Deadly strikes hit Kyiv and other cities
Russian forces also stepped up air strikes with jet-powered drones and ballistic missiles.
In Kyiv, a drone hit a 16-storey apartment building in the central Pechersk district, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring at least seven others. Seven people were reported killed across the capital region in overnight strikes.
In Odesa, a strike hit a postal company’s logistics terminal, killing one person. A medical clinic in Zaporizhzhia was hit while patients were inside.
“Vulnerable infrastructure targeted by barbaric, sickening Russian missiles,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said. “We are working to get our air defense stronger.”
The Kremlin said its strikes targeted military, industrial, logistics, and defense sites. A United Nations monitoring mission recorded at least 200 civilian casualties in Ukraine in September alone.