From the Field to the Dashboard – Built by Experts, for Experts.
Discover What's Really Happening in the Steel Industry
Use the AI-powered search engine to analyze production activity, market trends, and news faster than ever before.
Try the Free AI Search EngineUkraine Steel Market: Production Boosted by Defense Needs & Green Transition Efforts
Ukraine’s steel sector shows resilience, driven by domestic demand for defense and a strategic focus on green steel initiatives. News articles “Metinvest has created protective armor for Patriot air defense systems” and “Ukraine has the potential to become part of Europe’s green course – Ferrexpo” highlight these dual drivers. While a direct link between these news articles and immediate changes in plant activity cannot be definitively established through satellite data alone, the overall sentiment remains very positive.
Overall, Ukrainian steel plant activity has fluctuated between January and June 2025, with the highest average activity observed in March (33%) and a slight dip to 28% in June. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih showed the highest individual activity levels, peaking at 44% in both January and June. Donetsksteel Metallurgical Plant consistently showed lower activity compared to the other plants and the national mean.
Donetsksteel Metallurgical Plant, located in Donetsk, primarily produces pig iron using integrated (BF) processes. While it has a blast furnace capacity of 1500 TTPA, its BOF and EAF facilities are either dismantled or mothballed. Satellite data shows activity ranged between 17% and 21% during the observed period. The news articles do not have an immediately evident relationship with the activity levels.
Metinvest Zaporizhstal steel plant, situated in Zaporizhzhia, is an integrated (BF) steel plant with a crude steel capacity of 4100 TTPA, mainly through OHF processes. It produces finished rolled products like hot-rolled coil and cold-rolled sheets for the automotive and steel packaging sectors. Activity started at 30% in January, peaked at 32% in February, and then decreased to 23% in both May and June. While the company is actively involved in defense production (“Metinvest has created protective armor for Patriot air defense systems”) and green steel initiatives, the direct correlation with observed recent activity dips can not be established from this information.
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih steel plant, based in Dnipropetrovsk, is an integrated (BF) steel plant with a crude steel capacity of 8000 TTPA, utilizing BOF and OHF processes. Its product portfolio includes semi-finished products, finished rolled products like rebar and wire rod, and by-products like sinter and coke. Satellite data reveals the highest activity among the observed plants, consistently above the national average, reaching 44% in January and again in June. No explicit connections between “Metinvest to allocate over $500 thousand to support veterans in 2025” can be established from this information.
Given Metinvest’s focus on defense (“Metinvest has created protective armor for Patriot air defense systems”), steel buyers should anticipate potential prioritization of domestic orders. While Ferrexpo’s focus on green steel (“Ukraine has the potential to become part of Europe’s green course – Ferrexpo”) is a positive long-term trend, the current procurement strategies should focus on securing supplies from ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, which exhibited higher production levels in June. Specifically, consider forward-buying rebar and wire rod to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions and capitalize on stable prices.