Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest’s CEO Mr Yuriy Ryzhenkov in an interview at Ian King Live on Sky News in the UK shared the latest news about the current activities of the Group's enterprises and presented on the air a steel bracelet Azovstal. He said “From the first days of a full-scale invasion, both our shareholders Mr Rinat Akhmetov and Mr Vadym Novynskyi decided that the company should support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. So, in addition to using our equipment to create a line of defense, we have developed new ways to produce armored steel, which is now used in body armor. We supplied more than 150,000 bulletproof vests to the Ukrainian army and territorial defense. We have also developed new steel mobile shelters that can be used in the field to heat and protect the military from shelling. In addition, we buy and supply the army with cars, armored vehicles, thermal imagers, walkie-talkies, etc. A large amount of machinery and equipment that is needed by the defense forces of Ukraine in the field.”He said “We have two metallurgical plants in Ukraine, one in Zaporizhia and the other in Kamianske. They are both now operational and their capacity is about 50-60% loaded. However, we are able to produce armored plates, steel shelters, etc.”While answering to a question about activities outside Ukraine, he said “They had some difficulties at first mainly due to the fact that they relied on semi-finished products from Azovstal in their work. Since then, we have diversified the sources of supply of semi-finished products. For example, here in the UK, slabs are now supplied by British Steel, Thyssenkrupp. In Italy, it's ADI. We have found different suppliers who can provide us with the volumes we need.”He also said “We know very little about what is happening in Mariupol now. There are still quite a few people out there, but they have little to say about what's going on in the city. As far as I understand, the power supply is unstable, there is no water, heating, the city is now a humanitarian disaster.”While answering to question of how much steel produced at Azovstal earlier got to the UK, he said “I am sure that the products of Azovstal were seen by any British citizen. If you look at the buildings behind, then all of them are 50-60% made up of Azovstal steel, in particular the Walkie-talkie building, the Shard building, they all contain Azovstal steel. In fact, even outside the UK, quite a few people know what Azovstal is. It is a tragedy that the world learned about Azovstal after its destruction, when the plant became a fortress. There are many attractions made of Azovstal steel when it worked. For example, the gates of the Panama Canal are made of Azovstal steel, as well as a large number of cruise ships in the Mediterranean. Reliable shelter over Chernobyl is made of Azovstal steel.”While answering to question over demanding compensation from the Russian government through international courts, Mr Ryzhenkov said “-Absolutely! We are confident that we must receive full compensation for losses from Russians and reinvest it in Ukrainian factories in order to resume their work.”
Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest’s CEO Mr Yuriy Ryzhenkov in an interview at Ian King Live on Sky News in the UK shared the latest news about the current activities of the Group's enterprises and presented on the air a steel bracelet Azovstal. He said “From the first days of a full-scale invasion, both our shareholders Mr Rinat Akhmetov and Mr Vadym Novynskyi decided that the company should support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. So, in addition to using our equipment to create a line of defense, we have developed new ways to produce armored steel, which is now used in body armor. We supplied more than 150,000 bulletproof vests to the Ukrainian army and territorial defense. We have also developed new steel mobile shelters that can be used in the field to heat and protect the military from shelling. In addition, we buy and supply the army with cars, armored vehicles, thermal imagers, walkie-talkies, etc. A large amount of machinery and equipment that is needed by the defense forces of Ukraine in the field.”He said “We have two metallurgical plants in Ukraine, one in Zaporizhia and the other in Kamianske. They are both now operational and their capacity is about 50-60% loaded. However, we are able to produce armored plates, steel shelters, etc.”While answering to a question about activities outside Ukraine, he said “They had some difficulties at first mainly due to the fact that they relied on semi-finished products from Azovstal in their work. Since then, we have diversified the sources of supply of semi-finished products. For example, here in the UK, slabs are now supplied by British Steel, Thyssenkrupp. In Italy, it's ADI. We have found different suppliers who can provide us with the volumes we need.”He also said “We know very little about what is happening in Mariupol now. There are still quite a few people out there, but they have little to say about what's going on in the city. As far as I understand, the power supply is unstable, there is no water, heating, the city is now a humanitarian disaster.”While answering to question of how much steel produced at Azovstal earlier got to the UK, he said “I am sure that the products of Azovstal were seen by any British citizen. If you look at the buildings behind, then all of them are 50-60% made up of Azovstal steel, in particular the Walkie-talkie building, the Shard building, they all contain Azovstal steel. In fact, even outside the UK, quite a few people know what Azovstal is. It is a tragedy that the world learned about Azovstal after its destruction, when the plant became a fortress. There are many attractions made of Azovstal steel when it worked. For example, the gates of the Panama Canal are made of Azovstal steel, as well as a large number of cruise ships in the Mediterranean. Reliable shelter over Chernobyl is made of Azovstal steel.”While answering to question over demanding compensation from the Russian government through international courts, Mr Ryzhenkov said “-Absolutely! We are confident that we must receive full compensation for losses from Russians and reinvest it in Ukrainian factories in order to resume their work.”
