Kryvyi Rih: A Russian missile strike on a major industrial facility operated by Lakshmi Mittal-led ArcelorMittal in Ukraine’s Kryvyi Rih has disrupted operations at one of the country’s most important steel plants. The attack killed two people and left 14 workers injured, according to the information provided by Ukrainian authorities and the company.
The strike on the industrial complex came amid a sharp escalation in long-range attacks between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides carrying out large-scale drone and missile strikes far from the front lines.
Steel production partially affected
ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine’s largest integrated steelmaking facility, said one of its sites was hit during the Russian attack. Damage to energy infrastructure and equipment linked to blast-furnace operations forced the company to partially suspend production.
The facility is a major part of Ukraine’s industrial economy and employs thousands of workers. The latest strike has raised fresh concerns over the vulnerability of critical industrial infrastructure as the war enters another prolonged phase.
Kryvyi Rih is also the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Russian and Ukrainian attacks intensify
The strike came after Ukraine launched one of its biggest drone offensives against Russia. Russian authorities reported hundreds of drones being intercepted across several regions.
Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed 822 Ukrainian drones had been brought down overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said hundreds of drones were detected heading towards the capital, with many intercepted over the Moscow region.
The attacks also affected the Rostov region, where local authorities reported deaths, damage to homes and infrastructure, and a fire following the drone strikes.
Civilian areas caught in expanding attacks
The latest exchange of attacks illustrates how the conflict has increasingly moved beyond the traditional battlefield. Ukraine has stepped up the use of long-range drones and missiles against Russian military, energy and industrial targets, while Russia has continued its own strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure.
In Ukraine, Russian attacks were also reported in Kyiv and several other regions. Fires broke out in the capital, while strikes caused casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure.
Zelenskyy said Ukrainian cities had faced a sustained barrage of drones, guided bombs and missiles over the past week and again appealed to international partners for additional air-defence systems.
Moscow says industrial and military targets were hit
Russia’s Defence Ministry said its strikes were aimed at military-industrial facilities. Moscow claimed the Kryvyi Rih operation targeted a metallurgical plant as well as defence-related sites elsewhere in Ukraine.
Russian officials also said facilities connected with Ukraine’s weapons production were among the targets. Kyiv, meanwhile, has increasingly relied on domestically produced long-range weapons as it seeks to strike targets deep inside Russian territory.
The latest attacks come at a time when fighting along parts of the front has shown limited movement, while missile and drone strikes have intensified. The growing focus on targets far from the battlefield has increased the risks for industrial centres, infrastructure and civilian communities on both sides.
