Canadian international security expert Roger Hilton conducted the interview with the top executive as part of the GLOBSEC podcast series featuring interviews with politicians, diplomats, military leaders and business executives.
GLOBSEC 2026, held in Prague, brought together leading global leaders, NATO military leadership and business representatives to seek strategic solutions for Europe’s future.
Production Near the Front Line
— Oleksandr, your company is effectively operating on the front line — one of your steel plants is located just 20 kilometres from the front line. How has Metinvest’s work changed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and how does production operate today?
— At the beginning of the war, our facilities were operating even closer to the front line — particularly in Mariupol and Avdiivka. Today, they have been completely destroyed, and those territories are occupied by the Russians.
Currently, Zaporizhstal is the closest plant to the front line — approximately 20 kilometres away — while the city itself comes under daily missile and drone attacks. The situation is indeed difficult, but despite this, the plant continues to operate, fulfils its obligations to customers, and people come to work every day. To me, these people are the real heroes.
We also have production sites in Kamianske and Kryvyi Rih, where the situation is somewhat calmer. However, under wartime conditions, every enterprise becomes a target for the Russians. From time to time, our facilities come under attack, after which we repair them, restore them and restart production.
— You mentioned the heroism of your employees. What has this experience taught you as a leader? How do you make decisions during a crisis and support people so that they can continue working under such extremely difficult conditions?
— The main conclusion from our experience is that leadership must stay close to its people. For example, in Avdiivka the management remained together with the employees until the very last moment. It was precisely this that enabled us to evacuate a significant part of the production equipment from the city.
The situation in Pokrovsk was similar. It is now occupied by the Russians. However, the entire management team remained there until the very last days, trying to ensure the maximum possible safety and evacuation of personnel, because people are our highest priority.
The situation is similar in Zaporizhzhia, Kamianske and Kryvyi Rih, where all management teams are focused on supporting the operation of the enterprises, ensuring the safety of employees and helping everyone in every way we can.
Any issues that arise among our employees, we try to resolve as quickly as possible. In my opinion, this direct connection between management and production teams helps us maintain the operation of our enterprises. Only by staying close to people can you understand what they are feeling and what is actually happening at the production site, and only then make the right decisions.
— Under these circumstances, how is Metinvest able to keep such a large industrial business operating?
— It is certainly not easy. Today, however, we cooperate with the railway and the ports, and together we do everything possible to ensure the supply of iron ore and other raw materials to our facilities. This enables us to manufacture products and export them to international markets. Our main task is to maintain a stable operating rhythm and uninterrupted production.
An Incredible Recovery
— During the war, every day brings new challenges. But was there a particular moment that stands out in your memory? A moment when you looked back and thought, we really did it.
— Unfortunately, there have been many such stories. One recent example is Zaporizhzhia. Following a guided aerial bomb strike, one of our production facilities was forced to stop, and we had to restore its operations.
It was an extremely difficult task. When we contacted the equipment manufacturer, we were told not to waste our time because it would be impossible to restore the equipment and that we would have to purchase new machinery. Had we followed that path, the delivery and commissioning of new equipment would have taken at least six months.
Instead, our specialists managed to complete the work within just a few days. It was thanks to our people, their knowledge, experience and dedication that we were able to restore the equipment and restart production. It was truly an incredible story: when we informed the European manufacturer that everything had been repaired and put back into operation, they simply could not believe it.
— It seems that the enemy constantly underestimates Ukrainians’ ability to recover. After attacks on industrial facilities, energy infrastructure or other critical infrastructure, you do not look for excuses — you simply return to work.
— Yes. Unfortunately, we have gained a great deal of experience in this.
Investment in Ukraine and Challenges in Europe
— Over the past few years, approaches to procurement and cooperation among businesses, governments, suppliers and customers in Ukraine have changed significantly. In your opinion, how will this model continue to develop — both for Metinvest and for Ukrainian companies in general, particularly in the context of European integration?
— First and foremost, we are already thinking about the future. We do not allow ourselves to become trapped in the present or focus solely on survival during the war.
We have a development strategy for each of our assets. We clearly understand what products we will manufacture in the future and how we will adapt to the new European regulatory framework, including CBAM (the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism).
We are also preparing Metinvest for the green transition in light of Ukraine’s future membership in the European Union. At the same time, we greatly value our suppliers and customers, because today it is already clear who our truly reliable partners are. It is with these partners that we intend to build long-term relationships in the future.
Therefore, every day we adapt to the new reality while consistently building the future of our company.
— At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, there was talk of “Kyiv in three days”. Has Ukrainian business now moved from survival mode to development?
— Yes. Most importantly, we have effectively resumed investment in our Ukrainian enterprises. We are currently modernising Northern Iron Ore. At the beginning of this year, we launched a new pipe production line in Zaporizhzhia. In addition, we are working on a new continuous casting machine project in Kamianske to partially replace the production capacity lost in Mariupol.
At the same time, we are developing as a pan-European company. We are planning slab supplies to our Italian assets, as we now operate not only in Ukraine, but also in Romania, Bulgaria, Italy and the United Kingdom.
Together with Danieli, we are implementing the Adria project — the construction of a new steel plant in Italy.
— Europe is rethinking its industrial policy amid competition with the United States and China. What conclusions have you drawn from this process, and what advice would you give the European Union when it comes to the procurement of critical raw materials?
— I believe the main conclusion is that any decisions must be assessed through the lens of their consequences.
Take CBAM, for example. European steel producers are not ready for such rapid changes. Therefore, before adopting any decisions, it is important to carefully assess their impact on the industry.
When we discuss CBAM with our European colleagues, we explain that we are ready to modernise our plants in Ukraine to bring them into line with European standards. However, they expect us to do this within two or three years. That is simply not enough time, because rebuilding a single plant takes between seven and ten years. It is a very large-scale process. Therefore, it is important to discuss how exactly these CBAM requirements should be implemented.
Many European producers are still using outdated technologies and need to adapt. The transition to the new standards requires significant investment and equipment upgrades. Today, this is one of Europe’s major challenges.
Therefore, when adopting any decisions, it is necessary to protect European manufacturers and help them remain competitive in the global market. The United States and China are not waiting — they are ready to continue operating under their existing rules, without the same environmental restrictions, to capture our market share and supply the products that are needed. In other words, we risk limiting ourselves.
— Let us finish on an optimistic note. What would you like to say about Ukraine and Europe to our audience?
— I believe we have already proved that we are capable of achieving incredible things under pressure. Europe is Ukraine’s partner, and no matter how great the pressure may be, I am confident that we will stand together and continue moving forward.