Ukraine: Steel industry reopens, although Russian troops are close by
A large steel plant in the central Ukrainian city of Krivich Rich has begun operating gradually, despite the fact that the war is raging and Russian troops are only 60 kilometers away.
The ArcelorMittal plant – not the one in Mariupol where soldiers and civilians have been fortified – reopened a high-standard plant on April 9, having closed all four when the Russian invasion began on February 24.
The steel plant, one of the largest in Ukraine, plans to launch a second high temperature in the coming days, as long as there is no deterioration in the situation in the region, said CEO Mauro Longkombardo.
“Sixty kilometers away from here are Russian troops, so we do not know what will happen today or tomorrow. “We hope the Ukrainian army will be able to repel the invaders,” Longkombardo told Reuters today.
“Of course we recognize the risk and we have to be realistic, as the factory can not only be hit by soldiers but also by fire,” he said, adding that the exceptions could be interrupted by major damage to the railway network.
The plant and nearby mines operated by ArcelorMittal operate with about 94% of their staff, according to the company. The last time in the 80-year history of the factory that all the blast furnaces were closed was during the Second World War when the factory was almost completely destroyed.
Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ