«Amid the full-scale war, Metinvest has mobilised all its resources to preserve its team and defend the country. For more than three and a half years, our priority has been supporting the defence forces. The future of the state, industry, Ukrainian cities and families depends on the army’s defence capability. During this time, as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front defence initiative, Metinvest has allocated UAH5.2 billion to meet the needs of the defenders and UAH9.7 billion overall to support Ukraine. We continue to work, to believe in our country and to support its people on the path to victory».
Yuriy Ryzhenkov
Сhief executive officer of Metinvest
Metinvest’s enterprises in Zaporizhzhia, Kryvyi Rih and Kamianske have continued to operate under the constant threat of enemy shelling, with capacity levels adjusted in response to security, energy, logistical and economic factors.
The Group’s foremost value remains the life and health of its employees. All its enterprises in Ukraine are equipped with bomb shelters designed for extended stays and stocked with water, food and medicines. Employees are trained in first aid and how to act in emergency situations involving wartime risks.
Despite the loss of operational control over assets in Mariupol and Avdiivka, and the suspension of operations at Pokrovske Coal, Metinvest remains among the largest exporters of Ukraine.
Even during wartime, the Group continues to invest in overhauls and equipment upgrades. This year, Kamet Steel is implementing a record programme worth over UAH2.5 billion.
Metinvest is also pursuing the ‘green’ transformation of its production. Together with its partners, the Group announced plans to build a state-of-the-art steel plant in Italy, which will consume Ukrainian iron ore and metallurgical feedstock, creating mutually beneficial synergies between Ukraine and the EU.
The Group is also investing in energy independence. In July 2025, two new gas-fired electricity generators were commissioned at Northern Iron Ore. In the first two months of operation, the units produced 1,040 MWh of electricity, generating an economic benefit of UAH2.3 million. A total of four such generators are planned for the site.
To support its workforce, from 1 April 2025, Metinvest raised wages at its production and service enterprises in Ukraine by up to 20%, depending on job category. The largest increases were given to specialists in critically scarce professions.
The Group remains among the largest taxpayers in Ukraine: in 2024, it paid UAH19.8 billion in taxes to budgets at all levels. In the first half of 2025, a further UAH9.3 billion was contributed to the budget.
Over more than three and a half years, Metinvest has spent UAH5.2 billion to support Ukraine’s armed forces as part of Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front defence initiative.
A key area of support is the Group’s specialised steel production for the front line. One of Metinvest’s most important developments has been the creation of mobile shelters: fortified steel structures that are buried underground and serve simultaneously as protective cover and field housing for soldiers. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Group has delivered 805 of these shelters to Ukraine’s defenders.
Building on this concept, Metinvest has developed command posts and underground hospitals. In 2025, working in coordination with the medical forces of Ukraine, the Group constructed a second enhanced underground NATO Role 2 hospital in one of the most intense frontline zones. More than UAH21 million has been spent to produce and equip this stabilisation centre.
Metinvest has also manufactured 300 steel protective screens for vehicles serving the armed forces, including Abrams, Bradley, T-64, T-72 and MT-LB models. This year, its specialists designed and installed a three-tonne armoured cover for key elements of the Patriot system. These modular structures can be adapted to different models to maximise protection for personnel from FPV drone attacks.
The Group’s steel is used to manufacture a wide range of defensive items, including Lancet drone catchers, anti-tank hedgehogs, mine trawls, buggy vehicles, mini-bastions, protective gear and other equipment for the armed forces.
Among Metinvest’s first developments for Ukraine’s defenders were steel plates for bulletproof vests. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, it has manufactured or procured abroad 150,000 units of body armour and 25,000 helmets. These have been supplied to both Group employees serving in the armed forces and other Ukrainian soldiers.
Together with Ukraine’s defence forces, Metinvest is also involved in building fortifications. More than 200 kilometres of defensive lines have been built in the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions. To support demining efforts, the Group has delivered 30 of its own mine trawls to the front line.
Metinvest also provides the armed forces with reconnaissance, surveillance, communications and power supply equipment. The military has received more than 8,230 reconnaissance drones, 2,000 thermal imagers and units of high-precision observation optics, 450 backup power systems, 875 units of communication equipment, and 705 vehicles, including ambulances. To fuel them, the Group has delivered 1.53 million litres of fuel.
In addition, Metinvest has supplied 31,500 first aid kits and tourniquets and allocated nearly UAH26 million for developing tactical medicine in Ukraine in partnership with the PULSE charitable foundation.
Metinvest is one of Ukraine’s largest private employers of veterans. The Group has created a comprehensive veteran reintegration ecosystem based on the principles of responsibility, consistency and internal justice. Support for employees begins at the mobilisation stage and extends to their families.
Since 2014, more than 10,500 employees of Metinvest and its joint ventures have served in Ukraine’s defence forces, with around 1,000 already having returned to work at Group enterprises. Metinvest is ready to offer jobs to both demobilised employees and veterans from the wider labour market. During the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome, the Group committed to becoming the number one employer for veterans by joining the Human Capital Resilience Charter.
Metinvest offers veterans free retraining, professional development opportunities and preferential admission to the Metinvest Polytechnic mining and metals university. Veterans can also undergo physical and psychological rehabilitation at the Group’s expense, while employees are trained to work effectively with demobilised colleagues. In 2025, Metinvest plans to allocate US$550,000 to veteran reintegration programmes.
The Group runs local support initiatives for veterans in the regions where it operates. One of the most successful projects is “Free Waves”, a swimming-based rehabilitation programme with the participation of Olympic medallist Denys Sylantyev. Thanks to Metinvest’s funding, active service members and veterans can use swimming pools free of charge to aid recovery from injury. Launched in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih, the project expanded to Kamianske in 2025.
Metinvest also supports the creation of veteran hubs in Ukrainian cities. One of the largest, Veteran PRO Zaporizhzhia, brings together staff from the administrative service centre, Pension Fund, employment centre, and legal and psychological services. In addition, for over a year, the Communicate Veteran platform has been active in Zaporizhzhia and Kryvyi Rih, providing open dialogue between veterans and professionals from various fields.
Despite wartime losses, Metinvest remains Ukraine’s largest mining and metals company. It currently has around 4,000 open positions in engineering and technical specialities. In response to current challenges, the Group is reconfiguring its production processes based on the availability of skilled labour. It plans to partly close staffing gaps by employing veterans and implementing a fair gender policy.
Metinvest also offers employees free retraining and opportunities to acquire additional qualifications. Motivational programmes such as “First Job” and “Refer a Friend” are in place, providing financial rewards to employees.
According to Delo.ua, the Group is the largest private business investor in Ukrainian education. For over five years, the Metinvest Polytechnic university has been training professionals for modern industry, offering students practical placements at Group enterprises from their first year. Since its launch, 1,330 people have enrolled, including Mariupol defenders and veterans now employed across the Group. Already, 267 master’s degree graduates have received their diplomas and started careers in Ukrainian industry. To date, Metinvest has invested UAH513 million in the university’s infrastructure and development.
In September 2025, a new academic year began at Metinvest Polytechnic. More than 150 new students enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s programmes, and for the first time, the university admitted 94 junior professional bachelor’s students. Among the new cohort are 26 war veterans, including Group employees and defenders of Mariupol.
Metinvest also continues to care for the well-being of its employees and their families. It supported the evacuation and initial resettlement of workers from Mariupol, Avdiivka and Pokrovsk, and is helping those who remain in frontline regions to restore homes damaged by shelling.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Metinvest Together psychological support service has been available to employees and their families. Over three and a half years, more than 13,000 counselling sessions have been held, including for military personnel and veterans.
At the start of the full-scale invasion, in coordination with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, Metinvest launched the Saving Lives humanitarian project. The initiative has already helped around 516,000 civilians. Thanks to donors and partners, around 4,200 tonnes of food, hygiene items and other essential goods have been delivered to Ukraine. Hospitals have received medicines and equipment worth UAH9.5 million. Another important focus is the physical and psychological recovery of both military personnel and civilians. Nearly 140 Ukrainian defenders and civilians have received assistance through the prosthetics, rehabilitation and surgery programme. Almost 2,670 women and children affected by the war have achieved improved mental health outcomes.
Despite the war, Metinvest continues to invest in developing the regions where it operates and in improving quality of life for local communities. Among the current priorities are safety-focused projects. In particular, Metinvest is funding the installation of 2,000 shatterproof “soft windows” in public infrastructure facilities in Zaporizhzhia. Ahead of autumn, this technology from the British engineers of the NGO “Insulate Ukraine” was used to repair a kindergarten damaged by enemy shelling.
Also, at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025, the State Agency for Restoration of Ukraine and Metinvest presented the Citadel project: modular steel underground shelters that will be installed in Ukrainian schools and other public spaces to protect pupils and civilians during air raids.
The Group is also supporting medical institutions. With its help, a renovated outpatient clinic (No. 7) recently opened in Kamianske. In Kryvyi Rih, the main building of City Hospital No. 7 is undergoing major repairs. Metinvest has allocated UAH61.6 million for design, general construction, roofing and facade work.
While focusing on supporting the country and its citizens during the full-scale war, Metinvest is also looking ahead. As part of the Steel Dream recovery concept, the Group has developed more than 200 ready-to-use designs for buildings such as residential homes, schools, kindergartens, outpatient clinics and sports centres. These solutions are easily adaptable to meet the needs of individual communities and can be built using locally available materials. The project is already being implemented in the Kyiv and Rivne regions.