ArcelorMittal says it cannot safely restart Kryvyi Rih after missile strikes; Kyiv drone attack kills teenager

ArcelorMittal said it can no longer safely restart operations at Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest steel plant, after a series of missile strikes, Reuters reported on 25 September (Peleschuk/Pruchnicka). The same day coverage described a Russian drone strike on a central Kyiv high-rise that killed a 14-year-old boy.

Plant shutdown

CEO Mauro Longobardo said the company is no longer able to operate ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih safely and is discussing the plant’s future with the Ukrainian government, aiming to preserve infrastructure for a possible restart after peace. The site faced four strikes in five weeks; five workers were killed. The company recorded about $1 billion in non-cash impairment.

Production context

The plant produced 1.7 million tonnes of steel and 7.6 million tonnes of iron ore in 2025 and had already reduced capacity since 2022. Steel accounts for roughly 15% of Ukraine’s exports. Metinvest’s Kamet and Zaporizhstal were also hit earlier, according to Reuters.

Kyiv and other strikes

On Friday a Russian drone hit a high-rise in central Kyiv, killing a 14-year-old boy; Zelenskiy called the attack “absolutely savage and sickening.” One person was killed at a postal facility in Odesa; a medical clinic was hit in Zaporizhzhia. The UN reported at least 200 civilian deaths in September.

Conflicting claims

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. The Russian defence ministry claims strikes hit defence, logistics and vessels. Reuters presents these as official claims; independent verification of each target characterisation is not included in the cited report.