Ukraine increases steel production despite loss of coking coal mine

Ukraine still maintains steel production growth in the first two months of 2025 despite the loss of the sector’s key coking coal mine in Pokrovsk in the eastern part of the country, data from the Ukrainian steel producers’ union showed on Saturday.

Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest has suspended operations at Ukraine’s only coking coal mine, citing a deteriorating security situation as Russian forces advanced.

The raw steel output rose by 9.9% in January-February 2025 to 1.18 million metric tons, the data showed.

Steel production has suffered since Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022, which has led to the destruction of leading steel plants.

Ukraine, formerly a major steel producer and exporter, reported a 70.7% drop in output in 2022 to 6.3 million tons. It fell to 6 million tons in 2023 but increased to 7.58 million in 2024.

The steelmakers’ union said in October the potential closure of the Pokrovsk mine could cause steel output to slump to 2-3 million metric tons in 2025.

Producers have said they hope to find coking coal, an ingredient in steel production, from elsewhere in Ukraine should the mine be seized by Russian troops, but imports would be needed, raising costs.

(By Pavel Polityuk; Editing by Louise Heavens)