Major Ukrainian iron mine suspends operations amid Russian strikes on maritime logistics
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A major iron mining complex in Kryvyi Rih has suspended excavation work amid Russian strikes on maritime logistics, the company announced July 28.
"The Southern Mining and Processing Plant has begun the process of suspending production and temporarily reducing work. The decision was made due to the constant attacks by the aggressor country on civilian merchant ships heading to Ukrainian Black Sea ports," the company wrote.
The plant is co-owned by Ukrainian billionaire Rinat Akhmetov's Metinvest, Ukraine's largest mining firm.
"Several shiploads of iron ore, which were supposed to be exported, accumulated in both the ports and the warehouses of the Southern Mining and Processing Plant. Due to the inability to accumulate the extracted products, the plant was forced to temporarily suspend its work," the company said.
The mine plans to resume production in August and, in the meantime, existing employees will carry out repairs and maintenance.
"Unblocking logistics routes for Ukrainian Black Sea ports is an extremely important task for the sustainable operation of not only the mining and metallurgical industry, but also the entire Ukrainian economy. We call on state authorities to take maximum measures to protect port infrastructure and merchant ships from enemy attacks," the company wrote.
In recent weeks, Russia has targeted several civilian vessels traveling to or from Ukraine in the Black Sea.
A civilian cargo ship sank on July 26 in the Black Sea near Odesa after being struck by Russian missiles days earlier on July 19 while it was transporting grain, authorities reported.
"The Golden Leo, which was struck near Odesa on July 19, has sunk. As a result of the Russian attack, the ship sustained significant damage to its hull and superstructure, which led to the loss of its seaworthiness and subsequent sinking," Ukraine's Sea Ports Authority (USPA) reported.
Ten people were killed in the Russian attack on July 19. The vessel, sailing under the Guinea-Bissau flag and owned by a Turkish company, was leaving Ukraine's maritime corridor with a cargo of grain when it was struck by three Russian Kh-59/Kh-69 cruise missiles, Ukraine's Navy said.
