Ukraine maintains steel production growth in the first two months of 2025, despite the loss of the industry's key coking coal mine in Pokrovsk in the east of the country, data from the Ukrainian steel producers' union showed on Saturday.
Ukrainian metallurgical company Metinvest suspended work at Ukraine's only coking coal mine, citing the deteriorating security situation as Russian troops advance.
Steel production increased by 9% in January-February 2025 to 18 million metric tons, the data showed.
Steel production suffered after the invasion of Russian troops on February 24, 2022, which led to the destruction of leading metallurgical enterprises.
Ukraine, which was previously a major producer and exporter of steel, reported a 77% drop in production in 2022 to 3 million tons. In 2023, it dropped to 6 million tons, but in 2024 it rose to 58 million.
The steelworkers' union said in October that the potential closure of the Pokrovsky mine could lead to a reduction in steel production to 2-3 million tons in 2025.
Producers said they hoped to find coking coal, an ingredient for steel production, in other regions of Ukraine if the mine was seized by Russian troops, but imports would be needed, leading to higher costs.
