On the morning of 17 October, the Russian army launched its fifth large-scale attack since August on the Zaporizhstal steelworks in Zaporizhzhia, according to the Metinvest Group. Six ballistic missiles damaged the plant’s internal power and logistics networks, as well as the blast furnace production areas. Staff had taken shelter, so there were no fatalities or injuries during this attack.
Briefly about the main points
- Six ballistic missiles struck industrial facilities at the plant.
- Power networks, logistics and blast furnace sites have been damaged.
- The staff were in the shelters and were unharmed.
- Since August, the company has been subjected to five large-scale attacks.
- The plant is still operating at reduced capacity.
Following the strikes, power networks and industrial facilities are being restored
According to Metinvest, the strikes damaged internal power supply facilities, logistics infrastructure and blast furnace production sites. Following the shelling, staff are clearing the rubble, repairing production facilities and restoring damaged equipment.
Chief Operating Officer of the Metinvest Group« Oleksandr Myronenko stated that the plant had been unable to resume normal production following the previous missile strikes. He thanked the staff for their actions during air raid alerts, for clearing up the damage caused by shelling and for repairing the equipment.
According to him, staff continue to keep the equipment operational despite the threat of further attacks. The organised evacuation to the shelters during the latest attack meant that no lives were lost.
Since August, the plant has come under five heavy attacks and lost eight employees
First a concentrated attack The incident at the plant took place on 11 August. According to the company, the Russian army used North Korean-made KN-23 ballistic missiles on that occasion. Eight employees were killed and a further 26 were injured as a result of the attack.
Further attacks took place on 27 August, as well as on 12 and 17 September. They caused further damage to production buildings, utility networks, railway infrastructure and equipment.
In total, over the course of five attacks on «Zaporizhstal»23 ballistic missiles were fired,« according to Metinvest’s figures. The total toll from these attacks stands at eight dead and 31 injured workers.
Production is being kept to a minimum, whilst the shelters are being expanded
Following the attack on 11 August, the entire production complex at the plant was shut down. The plant has since partially resumed certain production processes, but is maintaining them only at the minimum necessary level — to ensure the safe preservation of equipment and prevent industrial hazards.
Repeated attacks and widespread destruction prevented a return to normal production operations. To protect staff on the plant’s premises, the network of shelters has been expanded, and additional mobile protective structures with reinforced frames have been installed in areas where repair work is taking place.
Such structures reduce the time it takes for staff to reach shelter in the event of a missile threat. The plant continues to operate on a limited basis, whilst the damaged infrastructure is being repaired with enhanced safety measures in place.
