On the morning of September 17, Russia again attacked the "Zaporozhstal" plant with ballistic missiles. Two shells hit the industrial sites of the enterprise. This is the fourth attack on the plant in the past month and the seventeenth ballistic missile launched at it since the beginning of August, UNIAN reports.
The "Metinvest" group reported that the latest strike caused significant damage to the main technological and auxiliary equipment, workshop buildings, as well as utility and railway networks.
There were no fatalities. One worker failed to reach the shelter in time; he was extricated and hospitalized with shrapnel wounds and a concussion.
"The aggressor state has fired a total of 17 ballistic missiles at "Zaporozhstal" since August. This is the fourth attack in a little over a month - a campaign of systemic terror against Ukrainian industry and its people," said Oleksandr Mironenko, chief operating officer of the "Metinvest" group.
According to him, the repeated strikes on a plant that has already ceased operations are an attempt to prevent the facility from resuming production.
"Zaporozhstal" has been out of operation since the attack on August 11, which damaged the plant's production facilities, infrastructure and energy system. This incident killed eight workers and injured 28 others.
On August 27, Russia attacked the plant again, damaging the same production facilities. A strike on September 12 hit the blast furnace and steelmaking facilities, energy facilities and logistics infrastructure, injuring four workers.
After the September 17 attack, teams are working to clear the debris and eliminate the consequences of the strike. Specialists need to assess the extent of the new damage and the possibility of future reconstruction.
"Metinvest" emphasizes that preserving "Zaporozhstal", its workforce and production capacity remain a key priority. However, each new strike complicates the prospects for the plant's restoration.