Ukraine's prized steel industry left in ruins by Russian missile campaign

Key Points:

• The Zaporizhstal steel factory in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine's largest employer with 8,500 workers, has shut down indefinitely after multiple Russian missile strikes severely damaged its infrastructure and equipment.
• Russian attacks on Ukraine's metallurgical plants, a sector accounting for about 10% of GDP and a third of exports pre-war, have effectively halted steel production, causing a near collapse of this critical industry.
• The shutdown of steel plants like Zaporizhstal and Arcelor Mittal Kryvyi Rih threatens massive job losses, significant reductions in local government funding, and risks triggering a humanitarian crisis due to economic decline and migration.
• Steel production is vital not only for Ukraine’s economy but also for its defense and reconstruction efforts, as steel is essential for military hardware and rebuilding war-damaged infrastructure.
• Despite the devastation, some workers remain determined to revive the industry, likening their efforts to a frontline battle to keep the steel factories operational amid ongoing conflict.