Radio Slovakia International reported that US Steel Kosice has asked Slovakia’s Transport Ministry for assistance in ensuring the continuity of raw material supplies by rail from ports in Poland and southern Europe, as the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia have increased the strain on standard-gauge railway infrastructure. US Steel Kosice Vice President Miroslav Kiraľvarga said “There is currently no problem with the sufficiency or volume of raw materials we need, the problem is with logistics. We want to prevent the fact that due to overcrowding on railways outside Slovakia, we will not be able to get the raw materials here in time. That's why this request for help in communication outside of Slovakia is towards other carriers. Supplies of raw materials from Ukraine via the broad-gauge line for Kosice steel mills are much higher than before the war. In the past, the ratio of deliveries from Russia and Ukraine was roughly equal. Now Ukraine provides us with much larger sources of input raw materials than before the conflict, mainly because sanctions are imposed on Russia and at the same time the infrastructure between Ukraine and Russia is impassable. That is why we are also turning in another direction, that is, outside the eastern part of the world and looking for raw materials.”Ministry of Internal Affairs State Secretary Mr Jaroslav Kmet promised aid and cooperation to the steel mill in the matter. He said “Solutions are needed more at the political level to support negotiations with the Republic of Poland and perhaps find those capacities in advance so that, if something happens and the flows from the east are blocked, we can find ways out and be ready to import basic strategic raw materials from the ports, either from the north or south.”State run rail freight company Cargo Slovakia General Manager Mr Roman Gono confirmed the changes in flows of materials. He said “The places where these goods flows are clogging up are at border crossings, at ports, and they need to resolve this issue together so that the supply of materials, be it coal or ore be resumed.”
Radio Slovakia International reported that US Steel Kosice has asked Slovakia’s Transport Ministry for assistance in ensuring the continuity of raw material supplies by rail from ports in Poland and southern Europe, as the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia have increased the strain on standard-gauge railway infrastructure. US Steel Kosice Vice President Miroslav Kiraľvarga said “There is currently no problem with the sufficiency or volume of raw materials we need, the problem is with logistics. We want to prevent the fact that due to overcrowding on railways outside Slovakia, we will not be able to get the raw materials here in time. That's why this request for help in communication outside of Slovakia is towards other carriers. Supplies of raw materials from Ukraine via the broad-gauge line for Kosice steel mills are much higher than before the war. In the past, the ratio of deliveries from Russia and Ukraine was roughly equal. Now Ukraine provides us with much larger sources of input raw materials than before the conflict, mainly because sanctions are imposed on Russia and at the same time the infrastructure between Ukraine and Russia is impassable. That is why we are also turning in another direction, that is, outside the eastern part of the world and looking for raw materials.”Ministry of Internal Affairs State Secretary Mr Jaroslav Kmet promised aid and cooperation to the steel mill in the matter. He said “Solutions are needed more at the political level to support negotiations with the Republic of Poland and perhaps find those capacities in advance so that, if something happens and the flows from the east are blocked, we can find ways out and be ready to import basic strategic raw materials from the ports, either from the north or south.”State run rail freight company Cargo Slovakia General Manager Mr Roman Gono confirmed the changes in flows of materials. He said “The places where these goods flows are clogging up are at border crossings, at ports, and they need to resolve this issue together so that the supply of materials, be it coal or ore be resumed.”
