In brief
The Zaporizhzhia steelworks, once a hive of activity for 8,500 workers, has been devastated by 17 Russian missile attacks. The blasts obliterated blast furnaces and left the plant's roof riddled with holes. Ukraine’s steel sector accounted for 10% of the country’s GDP and exported billions, so the slowdown has deep economic effects. Experts warn that repairing the plant could take years and could hurt the city’s tax base, schools and hospitals. The loss also threatens Ukraine’s defence, as steel is critical for weapons, shelters and rebuilding damaged infrastructure.
Zaporizhzhia, a Ukrainian city once powered by its huge steel factory, now looks like a ghost town. Eight thousand workers have lost jobs when the plant was hit 17 times by Russian missiles.
The attack started in August and kept coming. Each blast ripped through buildings, destroyed blast furnaces and left the plant’s roof covered in holes.
Before the war, the steel sector contributed 10% of Ukraine’s gross domestic product and was the biggest source of exports. The damage not only hurts the economy, it also affects the city’s taxes, schools and hospitals.
“We’re clearing rubble and trying to plan recovery,” says Oleksandr Myronenko, chief operating officer of Metinvest. But experts warn that without repairs, the plant could stay closed for years.
If the steelworks remain shut, hundreds of thousands could lose jobs, and Ukraine’s defence and rebuilding efforts may suffer, as steel is needed for weapons, shelters and repair of damaged buildings.
