Ukrainian mining and steel group Metinvest has announced that Russian forces carried out another attack on its Zaporizhstal steel plant in the early hours of August 27, following the previous attack on August 11 that had resulted in a complete production shutdown.
According to the company, five ballistic missiles struck blast furnace equipment, energy and transport infrastructure and open areas of the plant. No fatalities or injuries were reported in the latest attack, as employees on shift reached shelters after the air raid alert was issued.
Metinvest stated that specialists are currently assessing the extent of the damage and inspecting the plant's production, energy and transport infrastructure to determine further steps. The company has not provided a timeframe for the resumption of production.
Latest strike occurs during recovery work from previous attack
As SteelOrbis reported earlier, the previous attack on August 11 resulted in the deaths of eight Zaporizhstal employees, while another 26 employees were injured. According to Metinvest, ballistic missiles hit the plant two minutes after the air raid alert was issued, damaging key blast furnace equipment, energy facilities and other infrastructure.
Following the August 11 attack, Zaporizhstal carried out emergency repair work and began dismantling damaged structures to access equipment, assess the damage and determine the possibilities for restoration. With production completely halted, the number of employees present at the plant was reduced, while a core team remained on site.
Metinvest COO Oleksandr Myronenko stated that the August 11 attack had caused destruction on a scale not experienced at Zaporizhstal since the Second World War and that the latest attack occurred while the company was still clearing debris from the previous strike. He also stressed that Zaporizhstal is a civilian industrial enterprise producing pig iron and rolled steel used in pipes, household appliances and motor vehicles and does not manufacture military products.
