Steel producer ArcelorMittal has announced that it is shutting down production at Ukraine’s largest steel plant after Russian airstrikes caused extensive damage to the facility and killed five workers.
The company said Friday that it had informed the Ukrainian government that “safe and sustainable” operations were no longer possible after the plant in the southeastern part of the country was hit four times within five weeks.
The attacks caused extensive damage and killed five workers at the plant, according to ArcelorMittal.
The shutdown represents another major blow to Ukraine’s once-powerful steel industry, which previously accounted for 15% of the country’s exports. The sector has come under pressure from Russian attacks, as well as restrictions imposed by the European Union, Ukraine’s main trading partner.
Russia has intensified airstrikes across Ukraine in recent months, using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones. The attacks have targeted businesses, logistics networks, Black Sea port facilities, and civilian infrastructure.
The economic impact of the attacks is reducing tax revenues and leaving the Ukrainian government facing a widening budget gap as the country seeks to finance the war, officials said.
Russian strikes on Kyiv on Friday killed five people, including a 14-year-old boy. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia is continuously expanding its campaign of attacks.
“The Russians are constantly expanding their escalation operation,” Zelensky said, noting that a food warehouse used by McDonald’s was also hit on Friday.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has stepped up its attacks on Russia, targeting defense and energy facilities, as well as online retailers, in an effort to undermine revenues and support for Moscow’s war effort.
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