Exclusive Zaporizhstal significantly reduced production in April

The company attributes the decline to an unscheduled shutdown of production facilities caused by the Russian army's attack on the region's infrastructure

Zaporizhstal Steel Works, part of the Metinvest Group, reported a 47.5% decline in steel production in April 2026 compared to the previous month and a 42.1% decline compared to April 2025, down to 156,600 metric tons. This is evidenced by the company’s data.

Pig iron production for the month fell by 38.8% month-on-month and 31.6% year-on-year, to 193,500 tons. Rolled steel production decreased by 37.5% month-on-month and 30% year-on-year, to 159,100 tons.

“The decline in production indicators is linked to an unscheduled shutdown of the company’s production facilities caused by the Russian army’s attack on the region’s infrastructure. During the forced downtime, a series of repairs and maintenance work was carried out on production units and treatment facilities to improve their operational reliability in the future,” the press release states.

From January to April, steel production fell by 10.2% compared to the same period in 2025—to 914,800 tons—and pig iron production by 10.6% year-on-year, to 1.013 million tons. Rolled steel production for the period decreased by 5.2% year-on-year, to 819,200 tons.

The past few months have been marked by significant challenges for Zaporizhstal, as Russia continues to shell Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, undermining the stability of power generation and electricity supply. As a result of these attacks, the company has been forced to suspend operations for the third time in a short period. Previous incidents occurred in mid-December and early January. A technical accident was averted thanks to the coordinated actions of the staff to safely shut down the equipment. In both previous cases, the production shutdown lasted up to two days.

As reported by GMK Center, in 2025, Zaporizhstal increased its rolled steel production by 15.1% compared to 2024, reaching 2.795 million tons. Pig iron production over 12 months amounted to 3.568 million tons, a 15% increase year-on-year. Steel output rose by 11.1% year-on-year, to 3.212 million tons.