For every Ukrainian, Azovstal is more than just the name of a steel plant. It has become a symbol of the courage and steadfastness of Ukraine's defenders, who proved to be stronger than steel. That is why the 30,000 bracelets in the first and second editions made of Azovstal steel sold out in a matter of days. Today, the sale of the final and therefore especially valuable edition begins. The batch was made of 17-metre-high letters spelling out “I believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine” so that thousands of people can share their faith in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Metinvest's participation in the 'Azovstal – A Symbol of Perseverance' project is part of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front military initiative.
Since the beginning of the war, Rinat Akhmetov and Vadym Novynskyi's Metinvest Group has sent more than UAH 2.1 billion to help Ukraine and Ukrainians. Overall, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine and the territorial defence forces have received over 150,000 body armour vests, tens of thousands of helmets, hundreds of thermal imagers, drones, vehicles, mobile dugouts, and other military equipment over the past seven months.
What steel is the last batch of bracelets made of?
The last batch of bracelets is made of Azovstal steel, which was used for a 17-metre-high inscription spelling out “I believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine” and installed in Kyiv on October 6, when the presentation of the 'Azovstal – A Symbol of Perseverance' project took place. During the exhibition, the inscription, installed at the foot of the largest Ukrainian flag, became a point of attraction for Kyiv residents and visitors and was captured in many photographs. On November 8, the steel letters were sent to be made into the last batch of bracelets. Each bracelet contains five grammes of steel from the last batch produced at Azovstal's 3600 Plate Mill before February 24. After the start of the Russian Federation's full-scale invasion, Azovstal turned from being a steelworks into a fortress that became the city’s last line of defence for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The courage, bravery and steadfastness of Mariupol's defenders have set an example for millions of Ukrainians.
“There are no other precedents in the history of the world for a steel plant becoming such a symbol for an entire country, and the steel bracelets sell out in a matter of hours. That is because Azovstal is a unifying symbol for every Ukrainian, a symbol of our invincibility and our drive to win. It is symbolic that the latest edition of bracelets made of Azovstal steel will help build a fleet of maritime drones for the country, as the flagship of the Ukrainian fleet, the Hetman Ivan Mazepa corvette, is also made of Metinvest steel produced in Mariupol. I am sure that the entire edition of bracelets will be sold out in Ukraine and globally in a few days. I hope that the next batch of bracelets will be produced from the first batch of steel from the rebuilt Azovstal in Ukrainian Mariupol,” said Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of Metinvest.
Why is this fundraising important?
All proceeds from the sale of the first two editions of bracelets made of Azovstal steel went to the ‘Army of Drones’ project. This is a comprehensive programme from the UNITED24 fundraising platform, the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the State Special Communications Service, designed for the systematic purchase of drones, their repair and prompt replacement, as well as a training course for drone operators.
All profits from the sale of the final edition of bracelets will be transferred through the UNITED24 platform to the ’Fleet of Maritime Drones’ project to protect the maritime territory and cities of Ukraine from Russian warships.
The design of the bracelets was developed by the Sova jewellery house. Bracelets cost UAH 1,500. They can be bought on the Rozetka website with free delivery to the brand’s points of sale, as well as at Sova brand stores. Bracelets from the latest edition of 'Azovstal – A Symbol of Perseverance' can also be purchased from abroad with international delivery offered by Nova Poshta. In Ukraine, as before, Nova Poshta delivers bracelets to branches at its own cost. For corporate orders, there is a special order form.