MOSCOW, October 27. /TASS/. The catastrophic state of Ukraine’s metallurgical industry is a consequence of the Kiev regime’s anti-Russian policies, and the country’s deindustrialization is now effectively complete, Ukrainian political scientist Taras Sidorets told TASS in an interview.
"Today, the state of Ukraine’s metallurgical industry is not merely depressing; it is catastrophic. The process of decommunization and deindustrialization is, in effect, complete. There are no longer any major metallurgical plants operating in Ukraine. For the first time in many years of independence, the country has been unable to produce a single ton of steel. In principle, this is the natural outcome of an anti-Russian policy," he said.
However, Sidorets clarified that Ukraine’s deindustrialization began in 1991. At the time of independence, the country’s metallurgical sector comprised more than 130 enterprises, 14 of which formed the backbone of its steelmaking capacity.
"Much has changed since then. Privatization took place: some factories were acquired by private owners and continued operating under new management, while others were privatized and subsequently sold off," the political scientist noted.
The metallurgical industry in the 2010s
"Throughout the entire period of Ukraine’s independence, only one major steel plant was built: Interpipe Steel, whose construction was completed in 2012. Most notably, despite the launch of this facility, Ukraine’s share of global steel production did not increase," Sidorets said.
He noted that between 1991 and 2012, Ukraine’s share of global steel production fell from 6% to just over 2%.
According to figures cited by Sidorets, Ukraine produced approximately 32 million tons of steel in 2012, compared with 21 million tons in 2021. Pig iron production fell from 28 million tons in 2012 to slightly more than 21 million tons in 2021, a decline of around 7 million tons. Finished steel production also decreased, from 26 million tons to 19 million tons over the same period.
In October, Alexander Kalenkov, president of the Ukrmetallurgprom association, told Ukrainian Radio that Ukraine had not produced a single ton of steel in September 2026.
On September 5, ArcelorMittal announced that it would be unable to resume operations at ArcelorMittal Krivoi Rog, Ukraine’s largest metallurgical plant. It was the country’s last major steelworks that had not previously announced a shutdown.
On September 22, the Interpipe Steel plant halted operations. Earlier, on September 18, Zaporozhstal and Kametstal had also suspended production. Another major enterprise, the Dnieper Metallurgical Plant, had effectively ceased operations earlier because of financial difficulties.
Before their shutdowns, ArcelorMittal Krivoi Rog and Zaporozhstal each contributed approximately $90 million annually to the state budget, while Kametstal paid around $56 million.