ArcelorMittal has announced the shutdown of production at Ukraine’s largest steel plant after repeated Russian airstrikes caused extensive damage and killed five workers, highlighting the growing economic impact of attacks on the country’s industrial sector.

The company said on September 25 that it had informed the Ukrainian government that safe and sustainable operations were no longer possible at its Kryvyi Rih plant in southeastern Ukraine. The facility has been hit four times in five weeks, according to the company.

The shutdown represents another major setback for Ukraine’s steel industry, which previously accounted for about 15% of the country’s exports. The sector has faced increasing pressure from Russian attacks as well as trade restrictions involving the European Union, Ukraine’s largest trading partner.

Russia has intensified airstrikes across Ukraine in recent months, using ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones against businesses, logistics networks, Black Sea port facilities and civilian infrastructure. Ukrainian officials say the attacks are reducing tax revenues and widening the government’s budget deficit as Kyiv continues to finance the war.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia was continuing to expand its attacks and called for an international response. He said a food warehouse used by McDonald’s was also struck in Kyiv on Friday.

The attacks came as Ukraine continued its own strikes against Russian defense and energy facilities. Ukrainian drones targeted infrastructure in Russia’s Rostov, Perm and Ulyanovsk regions, including an oil refinery whose operations were suspended following a strike.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukrainian forces had launched attacks “on every front” and should face the consequences of retaliatory strikes. He also said proposals for new peace talks and a ceasefire remained under consideration, while indicating that Moscow would carefully consider its response.

In Kyiv, a drone strike on a high-rise building in the city center killed a 14-year-old boy early Friday. Mayor Vitali Klitschko later said the bodies of four additional people had been found in a parking area following a separate daytime strike on an office building.

Klitschko said dozens of people were injured in the attacks, with many taken to hospitals and one person reported to be in serious condition. Russian attacks continued across the capital into the afternoon and evening.

Zelenskiy said Ukraine’s military leadership had discussed the effectiveness of its air defenses against newly deployed Russian jet-powered drones. Residents described the repeated attacks as an increasingly constant threat.

A 29-year-old Kyiv resident identified as Anna told Reuters that the attacks had made her feel as though she was “living under a gun.” She said drone attacks had become so frequent that they had begun to shape her daily routine.

Russia has denied deliberately targeting civilians during the war, which began with its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The United Nations said its monitoring mission had recorded at least 200 civilian deaths in Ukraine during September from attacks that also damaged homes, hospitals, shops and workplaces.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces had carried out overnight drone strikes against Ukrainian defense-industry facilities, logistics centers and vessels used by Ukraine’s armed forces.

The continuing attacks are also placing heavy pressure on Ukraine’s industrial economy. ArcelorMittal said its Kryvyi Rih plant produced 1.7 million metric tons of steel in 2025, while its iron ore operations produced 7.6 million tons during the same year.

The company expects to record a non-cash impairment charge of about $1 billion as a result of the shutdown.

ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih employs approximately 12,500 workers and 3,500 contractors. The company said it was assessing staffing requirements following the shutdown while seeking to preserve the facility, maintain security and support essential operations.

CEO Mauro Longobardo said the company would continue discussions with the Ukrainian government about the future of the plant and would focus on preserving its infrastructure so production could potentially resume once peace returns.

The shutdown underscores the wider economic consequences of the war, as repeated attacks on industrial facilities threaten production, employment, exports and government revenues while Ukraine continues to face the financial demands of the conflict.

SOURCE: Reuters, Dan Peleschuk and Anna Pruchnicka, September 25, 2026.