Russian missile kills 2 at Lakshmi Mittal’s Ukraine steel plant

A Russian missile strike on August 16 hit ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest steel producer owned by Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, killing two people and injuring at least 13 workers and contractors. Times Now reports the attack damaged energy and blast furnace facilities, forcing a partial suspension of operations at the plant in Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown. The Times of India adds that the company confirmed the strike and that the wider attack on the city killed two and wounded 14, according to Zelensky.

ArcelorMittal said the facility is civilian infrastructure and a similar missile attack in 2022 destroyed a rolling mill and killed one worker. The latest strike is part of a broader Russian aerial campaign: Kyiv’s historic Petrivka book market also caught fire, and in the Zaporizhzhia region two people died when their home was hit, authorities told the Times of India. Russia’s defence ministry said it targeted the metallurgical plant and military-industrial sites, including one making Ukraine’s Flamingo missiles, according to the Times of India.

The strikes came as Ukraine launched one of its largest aerial attacks on Russia, with hundreds of drones reportedly downed near Moscow. President Zelensky renewed his call on Western partners for more air defence systems, saying European interceptors cannot remain in storage when North Korean missiles kill people in Europe. The company has not given a timeline for resuming full production.