Azovstal Iron and Steel Works explained

Azovstal Iron and Steel Works
Native Name:Mеталургійний Kомбінат Азовсталь
Native Name Lang:uk
Type:Private, Combine
Fate:Destroyed during the Siege of Mariupol
Defunct:20 May 2022
Location City:Mariupol
Location Country:Ukraine
Key People:Rinat Akhmetov, Enver Tskitishvili (Энвер Омарович Цкитишвили) (April 2011–May 2022)
Industry:steel production
Net Income:₴558,417,000 (2016)
Owner:Metinvest B.V.
Metinvest International
Num Employees:12,293
Num Employees Year:2015[1]
Parent:Metinvest
Subsid:Sigma TV Channel
Sygma TV Channel
Firma Marita
AzovMed

The Azovstal Iron and Steel Works, or Azovstal Metallurgical Combine (Ukrainian: Mеталургійний Kомбінат Азовсталь, pronounced as /uk/; PFTS: AZST), was a metallurgical facility located in Mariupol in eastern Ukraine, and one of the largest steel rolling companies in the country.

The Azovstal plant became one of the most emblematic points of the Siege of Mariupol during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The plant had tunnels and bunkers capable of withstanding a nuclear attack,[2] making it an extremely defensible position. As the Russian forces advanced into Mariupol, Ukrainian forces withdrew to Azovstal,[3] and by late April it became the last pocket of Ukrainian resistance in the city. The Battle of Azovstal occurred on the site, culminating in the surrender of the remaining Ukrainian defenders after over a month of resistance.

The plant was almost completely destroyed by Russian bombardment over the course of the battle.[4] [5] After the capture of Mariupol, the Russians announced plans for the remains of the plant to be demolished during the city's restoration.[6]

History

Soviet era

Azovstal was established in 1930 in Mariupol, Ukrainian SSR (Soviet Union) by the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the National Economy (BCHX) (USSR) and began production in 1933 when its blast furnace put out the first iron.[7] [8] In January 1935, steelmaking production began at Azovstal with the commissioning of the first 250-ton tilting open hearth furnace in the Soviet Union.[7]

It was claimed by Soviet officials to be one of the most modern plants in the country, with structures built for both workers and their families outside of the factories. Prior to the Nazi invasion, it reportedly had more than 12,000 worker homes, schools, movie theaters, a hospital and maternity clinic, and two parks.[9]

During World War II, German forces occupied the plant from October 1941.[10] As part of the German (1942–1943) the plant was used to produce ammunition from 1942 onward. In September 1943, upon the city's recapture by Soviet forces, the plant was rebuilt.[11]

Ukrainian independence

In 1991, after the independence of Ukraine, the plant became a property of the Ukrainian state. In 1996, the state started its privatization.[12] The plant became owned by Metinvest, a metallurgical company solely owned by the Ukrainian business conglomerate Systems Capital Management.[13]

In 2005, the plant produced 5.906 million tons of steel.[14] From 2006, it partnered with the Priazovskiy State Technical University to help streamline students into working at the site.[15] In 2011, it was the country's third largest steel producer, accounting for 15% of the entire steel output, and known as a large exporter of steel slabs and billets. In 2014, the bunkers under the plant were used when Russian-backed Donbas separatists tried to take Mariupol from the Ukrainian government.

Russian invasion of Ukraine

See main article: article and Siege of Mariupol.

In March 2022, during the Siege of Mariupol, the works were badly damaged, with Ukrainian parliament member Serhiy Taruta stating that Russian forces had "practically destroyed the factory".[16] By 16 April, it became the last pocket of organized resistance in the siege. Russian forces gave the defenders until 6:00 AM Moscow Time on 17 April to surrender, claiming that if they left behind their weapons, they would guarantee their lives.[17] Ukrainian forces refused to surrender, and portions of the plant remained under their control.[18]

On 4 May, Russian troops claimed to have entered the steel plant after launching an all-out offensive.[19] However, this was refuted by Ukrainian sources, claiming they had repelled some Russian attacks.[20] On 7 May, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk stated that "all women, children, and the elderly" had been evacuated from Azovstal.[21] According to The New York Times, the Azov Battalion was ordered to surrender by the Ukrainian General Staff on 16 May, who said it was necessary "to save the lives of the personnel".[22]

Rap group Kalush Orchestra, who represented Ukraine in the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 and later won the competition, called to save the soldiers at Azovstal onstage following their performance. This contributed to a sharp increase in global interest in Azovstal.[23] [24]

On 17 May 2022, 53 seriously injured people surrendered and were evacuated from Azovstal to a medical facility in Novoazovsk and 211 people were taken to Olenivka through the humanitarian corridor, marking the end of the combat mission in Mariupol and the defense of the Azovstal plant after 82 days of fighting.[25] Following the capture of Mariupol by the DPR and Russian forces and the surrender of remaining Ukrainian servicemen in Azovstal, Denis Pushilin announced that the plant would be demolished and that "other projects are planned in place of Azovstal".[6] On February 25, 2023, Pushilin announced that a technopark would be built on the territory of Azovstal.[26]

Environmental impacts

In a 1999 study, it was found that the site had been identified by a regional environmental protection agency as the second largest air polluter in the region. To attempt to lessen pollution amounts, a small pilot program was first implemented to mitigate pollution caused by graphite and smelter fumes, and was introduced in a larger scale after beneficial outcomes were shown. The site also implemented regular pollution prevention audits each year.[27]

As a result of lax environmental regulations and "totally obsolete" equipment used by Azovstal and other Metinvest-owned factories in the city, Mariupol was what National Geographic described as "one of the most polluted cities" in Ukraine. In 2018 and 2019, residents of Mariupol protested in the streets for reform.[28]

Layout

The works included coke production, a sinter plant, six blast furnaces[29] and a steel-making complex.[14]

Management

The steel plant operated as a subsidiary of Metinvest Holding LLC,[30] in turn, a subsidiary of Metinvest B.V., at the time of the siege.[31]

Rinat Akhmetov is co-owner of Metinvest B.V.[32] Akhmetov supported the Ukrainian forces in the fight for Mariupol: "Mariupol has always been and will be a Ukrainian city. Ukrainians fiercely defend every inch of Ukrainian soil. I am proud that Azovstal is our bastion of resistance".[33]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Річна інформація емітента цінних паперів за 2014 рік . Annual information of the issuer of securities for 2014 . uk . 2014-04-21 . Metinvest . 2022-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160127105451/http://azovstal.metinvestholding.com/upload/azovstal/shareholders/godovaja_info_2014.pdf . 2016-01-27.
  2. News: 18 April 2022 . Ukraine war: Mariupol defenders will fight to the end says PM . en-GB . BBC News . 21 April 2022 . 21 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220421083755/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61135901 . live .
  3. Web site: Russia Says All Urban Areas of Mariupol Cleared of Ukrainian Forces . 2022-05-19 . VOA . 16 April 2022 . en . 2022-04-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220418204349/https://www.voanews.com/a/russia-says-all-urban-areas-of-mariupol-cleared-of-ukrainian-forces/6532471.html . live .
  4. News: "Завод "Азовсталь" розбомблений та знищений практично повністю» – «Азов" . "Azovstal Plant bombed and destroyed almost completely" – Azov . 2022-04-22 . Радіо Свобода . 19 April 2022 . uk . Свобода . Радіо . 2022-04-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220419201107/https://www.radiosvoboda.org/a/news-zavod-azovstal-znyshchenyj-azov/31811299.html . live .
  5. Web site: Окупанти майже повністю знищили завод Маріуполя "Азовсталь", – "Азов" . The occupiers almost completely destroyed the Mariupol plant "Azovstal", – "Azov" . 2022-04-22 . РБК-Украина . uk . 2022-05-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220513034114/https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/okkupanty-polnostyu-unichtozhili-zavod-mariupolya-1650386446.html . live .
  6. Web site: Глава ДНР Пушилин рассказал о планах по сносу завода "Азовсталь" в Мариуполе . DPR Head Pushilin Talks About Plans to Demolish Azovstal Plant in Mariupol . 2022-05-18 . Газета.Ru . 18 May 2022 . ru . 2022-05-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220521115701/https://www.gazeta.ru/social/news/2022/05/18/17761628.shtml . live .
  7. Web site: МЕТИНВЕСТ :: About us :: Our history . Metinvest . 2022-04-19 . 2022-03-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220324234405/https://azovstal.metinvestholding.com/en/about/history . live .
  8. Book: Balmaceda, Margarita . Russian Energy Chains; The Remaking of Technopolitics from Siberia to Ukraine to the European Union . Columbia University Press . 2021 . 9780231552196.
  9. Andronov . L . Blast Furnace in Mariupol Resumes Production . Information Bulletin, Embassy of the USSR . 1945 . 1945 . Harvard University.
  10. News: Как войска Гитлера захватили Мариуполь в 1941 году. Воспоминания оккупантов . How Hitler's troops captured Mariupol in 1941. Memories of the occupiers . Ганс . Днепровский . uk . 0629.com.ua.
  11. News: In Mariupol, Azovstal fully halts operations, first time since 1941 . en . Ukrinform . 2022-03-20 . 2022-04-07 . 2022-05-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220517111545/https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-economy/3434668-in-mariupol-azovstal-fully-halts-operations-first-time-since-1941.html . live .
  12. News: Gutiérrez . Icíar . Armunia Berges . Cristina . La planta de Azovstal, una fortaleza soviética de túneles subterráneos para la resistencia ucraniana en Mariúpol . The Azovstal plant, a Soviet fortress of underground tunnels for the Ukrainian resistance in Mariupol . 21 April 2022 . ElDiario.es . 20 April 2022 . es . 20 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220420202300/https://www.eldiario.es/internacional/planta-azovstal-fortaleza-sovietica-tuneles-subterraneos-resistencia-ucraniana-mariupol_1_8928055.html . live .
  13. Book: Connor, John T . Out of the Red; Investment and Capitalism in Russia . Wiley . 2011 . 9781118160763.
  14. Web site: Азовсталь . Azovstal . usurped . https://web.archive.org/web/20070608124745/http://file.liga.net/company/21.html . 8 June 2007 . uk.
  15. Book: Latukha, Marina . Talent Management in Global Organizations; A Cross-Country Perspective . Springer International Publishing . 2018 . 9783319764184.
  16. Web site: 20 March 2022 . One Of Europe's Biggest Steel Works Damaged in Ukraine's Mariupol . 20 March 2022 . AFP . 23 March 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220323052543/https://www.voanews.com/a/one-of-europe-s-biggest-steel-works-damaged-in-ukraine-s-mariupol-/6493030.html . live.
  17. Web site: 16 April 2022 . Russia offers Mariupol defence a surrender window . 17 April 2022 . BBC News . 16 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220416005007/https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-europe-61124291 . live.
  18. News: 2022-04-17 . Ukrainian defenders in Mariupol defy surrender-or-die demand . 2022-04-18 . Associated Press News . en . 2022-04-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220417195202/https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-kyiv-business-europe-893384be23cf0fc1c0b9e566de372046 . live.
  19. News: 2022-05-04 . Ukraine war: Zelensky plea as Russians seek Mariupol endgame . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-05-05 . 2022-05-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220511003750/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61327638 . live.
  20. News: 2022-05-06 . Ukraine repels some attacks as battle in Mariupol steel mill rages on . en-GB . PBS NewsHour . 2022-05-07 . 2022-05-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220528055716/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/ukraine-repels-some-attacks-as-battle-in-mariupol-steel-mill-rages-on . live.
  21. News: 2022-05-07 . Ukraine war: Civilians now out of Azovstal plant in Mariupol . en-GB . BBC News . 2022-05-07 . 2022-05-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220527105733/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61362557 . live.
  22. News: Hopkins . Valerie . Nechepurenko . Ivan . Santora . Marc . 2022-05-16 . Ukrainian authorities declare an end to the combat mission in Mariupol after weeks of Russian siege. . en-US . The New York Times . 2022-05-17 . 0362-4331 . 2022-05-16 . https://archive.today/20220516233043/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/16/world/europe/azovstal-mariupol.html . live.
  23. Web site: Гурт Kalush закликав світ врятувати захисників Маріуполя зі сцени фіналу «Євробачення-2022» . Kalush band called on the world to save the defenders of Mariupol from the stage of the Eurovision 2022 final . 2022-05-15 . hromadske.ua . 14 May 2022 . uk . 2022-05-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220515070656/https://hromadske.ua/posts/gurt-kalush-zaklikav-svit-vryatuvati-zahisnikiv-mariupolya-pid-chas-vistupu-na-finali-yevrobachennya . live.
  24. Web site: 2022-05-14 . Ukraine wins 2022 Eurovision song contest as UK finishes second in Turin . 2022-05-15 . The Guardian . en . 2022-05-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220515000539/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/may/15/ukraine-wins-2022-eurovision-song-contest-as-uk-finishes-second-in-turin . live.
  25. Web site: Tim . Lister . Taras . Zadorozhnyy . Victoria . Butenko . Jack . Guy . Ukraine declares 'combat mission' over in Mariupol amid evacuation . 2022-05-17 . CNN . 16 May 2022 . 2022-05-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220528090316/https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/16/europe/azovstal-siege-halt-mariupol-intl/index.html . live.
  26. Web site: Пушилин: в Мариуполе не будут восстанавливать комбинат "Азовсталь" . Pushilin: Azovstal plant will not be restored in Mariupol . autoparus.by . ru . 25 February 2023.
  27. Book: Lovei . Magda . Gentry . Bradford S. . The Environmental Implications of Privatization; Lessons for Developing Countries · Parts 63-426 . 19 . World Bank . 2002 . 9780821350065 . English.
  28. News: Gardiner . Beth . 2021-11-30 . Inside a Ukrainian war zone, another fight rages—for clean air . en-gb . 2022-04-07 . 2022-03-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220325035246/https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/environment-and-conservation/2021/11/inside-a-ukrainian-war-zone-another-fight-rages-for-clean-air . live .
  29. News: Explosion at Azovstal. Employees say, there are victims . en . UNIAN Information Agency . 2024-03-06 . 2022-04-07 . Out of the six blast furnaces, the work of the first and fourth was suspended, and the third is being repaired. . 2022-10-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221002233956/https://www.unian.info/society/313-explosion-at-azovstal-employees-say-there-are-victims.html . live .
  30. Web site: Metallurgy . Metinvest . 2011-06-29 . 2018-01-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180128110215/https://www.metinvestholding.com/en/activity/steel_rolling . dead.
  31. Web site: Metinvest BV – Company Profile and News . 2022-04-22 . Bloomberg . en . 2022-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220422153243/https://www.bloomberg.com/profile/company/3900730Z:NA . live.
  32. Web site: Profile - Rinat Akhmetov . . 2022-05-15 . 2022-05-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220515072325/https://www.forbes.com/profile/rinat-akhmetov/?sh=2780d5a024fa . live.
  33. Web site: Rinat Akhmetov: I’m Proud that Azovstal is our Bastion of Resistance in Mariupol (Opinion) . Rinat . Akhmetov . Kyiv Post . 2 May 2022 . 2022-05-15 . 2022-05-02 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220502191653/https://www.kyivpost.com/article/opinion/op-ed/1065068.html . live.

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