Challenges of the metallurgical industry of Ukraine in the current conditions

The relevance of the study is due to the full-scale invasion of the territory of our country by the enemy, which led to the suspension of the work of most Ukrainian metallurgical enterprises in the East of Ukraine, and caused a significant decrease in planned indicators and production volumes. The constant attacks on energy infrastructure also negatively affected the operations of such enterprises. Since March 2022, mining and metals companies in the government-controlled areas of Ukraine have continued to operate at a loss. Compared to the pre-war period, the utilization of steel mills in 2022 fell by 85 % on average.

The article characterizes the main challenges of the metallurgical industry with the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion; the dynamics of metallurgical production indicators for ten years from 2012 to 2021 in the pre-war period, and quarterly volumes for 2022–2023 since the beginning of the war in terms of iron and steel production, including the dynamics of exports of metallurgical products, are studied. The necessary post-war directions as vectors for the development of the metallurgical industry are highlighted. The study on this topic allowed us to identify the following new challenges and obstacles to the development of the Ukrainian metallurgical industry as a result of the full-scale invasion of Ukrainian lands by the occupier: production shutdown and destruction of industrial infrastructure; shortage of working capital; logistical constraints; and lack of energy resources.

Based on the above factors and the challenges faced by the Ukrainian economy during the year of the war, the following important and necessary vectors for the development of the metallurgical industry after our victory and the end of the war have been identified: the restoration of the steel industry as a leading sector of the national economy to ensure rapid growth in demand for steel structures to rebuild destroyed cities and villages; the restoration of stable energy supply and liberation from the occupation of the territories with metallurgical plants will allow restoring the full capacity of these enterprises, and, as a result, increase the volume of exports of metal products to the EU and other countries; attracting investments in the restoration of housing and machine-building infrastructure will help increase demand for metal products; facilitating access to Ukrainian goods to their markets by many countries will have a positive impact on the progress in the development of the Ukrainian steel industry.