Recognising the importance of every employee to its operations, the Group's management has taken a strategic decision: from 1 July 2026, salaries for employees at the Ukrainian enterprises will increase by 10%.
Why this matters now
The decision to review salaries was taken at a time when the everyday challenges of wartime were compounded in 2026 by major external economic restrictions: the introduction of the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and tighter steel import quotas. This is placing unprecedented pressure on Ukraine's steel industry in general and Metinvest in particular, forcing the Group to reduce its presence in Europe, its main strategic sales market, and seek new export markets. As such, the salary increase is not a routine step, but a conscious decision to support the workforce at a time of extreme pressure.
Yuriy Ryzhenkov, chief executive officer of Metinvest, said: “Difficult times of trial demand decisions of steel. Even in today's challenging circumstances, we must find the resources to preserve the motivation and confidence of every Metinvest employee. People are our foundation and the Group’s greatest value. Their work supports not only the operations of our enterprises, defence production and modernisation, but also the entire Ukrainian economy. That is why, even amid such external pressure, we are not abandoning our social commitments. The management's main tasks today are to preserve our teams and jobs, ensure stable payments and protect the Metinvest family.”
Details and mechanism of the salary review
Salaries will be increased as follows.
- Production sector: from 1 July, salaries for employees at the Group's production, repair and service enterprises in Ukraine will increase by 10% (this will already be reflected in the July salary payment)
- Administrative personnel: following the annual performance review, salaries for employees at the Group's production, repair and service enterprises in Ukraine will increase by an average of 10%
- Management: no salary review is planned for enterprise directors across the Group. This is a deliberate and voluntary decision by senior management to support the core workforce.
Despite the war and global market challenges, Metinvest remains committed to the principles of social responsibility. The Group intends to continue maintaining a high level of social protection for its employees.