The head of the association "Ukrmetallurgprom", Alexander Kalenkov, stated that the Ukrainian metallurgy is currently experiencing not just a crisis, but a tragedy. This is reported by BELTA with reference to Ukrainian media.

According to him, in September 2026, Ukrainian metallurgical industry did not produce a single ton of steel.

"What is happening now is not just a difficult or critical situation, it is a tragic situation when an industry that is over 150 years old did not produce a single ton of steel last month. And Ukraine is highly dependent on the mining and metallurgical complex," he said.

Kalenkov pointed out that during the peak period, the annual volume of steel production in Ukraine amounted to more than 42 million tons.

"According to European experts' estimates, each job in our industry creates 7.5-8 jobs in other sectors. Thus, our industry not only generates a significant share of exports but also creates additional jobs. The multiplier effect is very high—higher, for example, than in the agricultural sector, which currently feeds the Ukrainian economy," added Alexander Kalenkov.

Reuters earlier reported, with reference to the Ukrainian Metallurgists Federation, that steel production in Ukraine has been completely halted after the last operating enterprises were put out of action.