Russian strikes cripple Zaporizhzhia industry: steelworks hit again, steel production halved in August

Russian forces have struck the Zaporizhstal steelworks for the second time in two weeks, hitting the same spot where seven employees were killed on 11 August. The 27 August attack, carried out with five missiles, came while the plant was already suspended after the earlier ballistic missile strike, according to Musa Mahomedov, Chair of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Subcommittee on Industrial Policy on Facebook.

The same day, a Russian strike destroyed the Khortytsia liquor and vodka factory in Zaporizhzhia. The facility, which employed more than 500 people and produced eight vodka brands, sustained four direct hits. The fire burned for at least three hours. Global Spirits, the owner, told NV Business that three to four million bottles of product on which excise duty had already been paid were lost, at an average cost of UAH 100 (approx. US$2.25) per bottle. The factory cannot be restored.

Also on 27 August, a warehouse of the KOLO grocery store chain was damaged. The Varus company, which owns KOLO, said in a press release that no employees were injured but temporary delivery delays may occur at some stores. All stores remain open.

The following evening, Russian forces attacked a residential area of Zaporizhzhia city, injuring four people – two men aged 65 and 40, a 17-year-old girl and a 68-year-old woman. A house was destroyed and a fire broke out, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported. The blast wave also damaged nearby buildings.

On 31 August, one day after Ivan Fedorov, then head of Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, reported 923 strikes across 51 settlements in the oblast. Two people were killed and three injured. The attacks included 20 airstrikes, 659 drones, four MLRS barrages, and 240 artillery strikes, hitting everything from residential buildings to infrastructure.

The cumulative effect on Ukraine’s industrial capacity is stark. On 9 September, data showed that steel production halved in August compared to previous months – a direct consequence of the repeated strikes on Zaporizhstal and other mills. Zaporizhstal had already lost external power in December 2025 and January 2026, forcing emergency shutdowns. Now, with the plant hit twice in August, the prospect of restarting any time soon looks bleak. Mahomedov said that steelworkers are trying to resume operations but “the damage is very serious.”

In a separate development, on 4 September a Russian attack damaged the Sophia of Kyiv reserve and a Security Service of Ukraine building that is protected under UNESCO conventions, according to Ukrainska Pravda. The same day, Fedorov left his post to lead the Restoration Agency, a move that may shift focus toward rebuilding but does not change the immediate security situation.

For Ukraine’s economy and war effort, the systematic destruction of industrial infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia is a strategic blow. Steel exports generate billions of dollars in revenue; every ton not produced weakens the country’s ability to finance defence. The loss of the Khortytsia factory, a major local employer, adds to unemployment and depresses tax revenue. And the repeated strikes on residential areas, while causing fewer deaths than the industrial attacks, demonstrate Russia’s willingness to terrorize civilians to disrupt daily life.

As of mid-September, the Zaporizhstal plant remains idle. The Khortytsia site is a pile of rubble. Ukraine’s steel output for August has been cut in half. The cost of these attacks – in lives, livelihoods, and industrial capacity – will be felt for years.