A Russian missile strike has hit ArcelorMittal’s major steel plant in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, killing two people and injuring 14 workers as long-range attacks between Russia and Ukraine intensify.
The overnight attack damaged key power-generation and blast-furnace facilities at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest steel plant and a major industrial facility controlled by Indian-origin billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s company. ArcelorMittal said the damage forced it to partially halt production at the site, located in Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s hometown.
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its latest strikes targeted the metallurgical plant in Kryvyi Rih as well as military-industrial facilities in Kyiv. The broader overnight barrage also hit other parts of Ukraine, causing casualties and fires. Zelenskyy accused Russian forces of continuing to target civilian infrastructure and said Moscow had launched more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs and 62 missiles against Ukraine over the past week.
The strike could further disrupt operations at ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, which has already faced repeated attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The facility relies heavily on stable electricity and other critical infrastructure, making damage to its energy and blast-furnace systems particularly significant for production.
Ukraine, meanwhile, has stepped up long-range drone attacks inside Russia. A warehouse operated by major Russian online retailer Wildberries was struck in Podolsk, while a separate drone attack near Belgorod reportedly hit a bus and killed one person. Ukrainian forces also said they targeted a missile-fuel production facility in Russia’s Rostov region.
Russia claimed its air defences intercepted 822 Ukrainian drones during the latest wave of attacks. The escalating drone campaign also spilled into NATO airspace, with Romania saying a Spanish-operated F-18 fighter jet on a NATO air-policing mission shot down a drone that entered Romanian territory from the direction of Moldova. NATO reportedly assessed the drone as likely Russian.
With diplomatic efforts producing limited progress and the front lines remaining largely unchanged, both Moscow and Kyiv have increasingly relied on missiles and long-range drones to strike energy, industrial and military targets far beyond the battlefield.
