Zaporizhstal has resumed operations – spokesperson for the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration

The situation remains very fragile

The Zaporizhstal steel plant, part of the Metinvest Group, has resumed operations after an emergency shutdown caused by nighttime shelling of energy infrastructure. This was announced by Olexander Kovalenko, spokesperson for the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration, during a telethon, commenting on the consequences of the attack, which led to a power outage at the enterprise and a complete shutdown of production processes.

According to him, the emergency shutdown occurred due to damage to the power distribution and transmission systems as a result of Russian shelling. At the same time, the plant’s staff reacted extremely quickly, in particular, backup power sources were activated and all actions provided for in the safety protocols were carried out. This made it possible to avoid more serious consequences for the equipment and gradually resume work by the evening of the same day.

Oleksandr Kovalenko recalled that such shutdowns are extremely rare for Zaporizhstal. In March 2022, due to shelling, some equipment had to be put into hot conservation mode for 33 days – this was the first suspension of production since World War II. The current shutdown is the second during this period.

At the same time, the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration emphasizes that the situation at the enterprise remains extremely fragile due to the risk of repeated strikes on the power system. The stability of the plant’s operation largely depends on the availability of backup power and the overall state of the region’s energy supply.

On December 23, 2025, Zaporizhstal announced an emergency shutdown of production due to massive Russian missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.