Russian missile strike hits Lakshmi Mittal's Ukraine steel plant
What's the story
The ArcelorMittal mining and metallurgical complex in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, owned by Indian-origin billionaire Lakshmi Mittal, was hit by a missile strike from Russia. The attack was reportedly a response to a Ukrainian drone assault that killed at least six people across Russia. The Russian defense ministry claimed it intercepted 822 drones during the overnight attack.
Attack aftermath
Attack damages key operations, partially halts production
The Ukrainian drone assault, described by Moscow's regional governor Andrey Vorobyov as "one of the most massive drone attacks in recent memory," left an 83-year-old man dead and caused a fire at a Wildberries warehouse.
In response, Russian forces targeted ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, killing two people and injuring 14 workers.
The strike damaged key energy and blast-furnace operations, leading to a partial production halt.
Kryvyi Rih is also Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown.
Twitter Post
Visuals of strike
Russian forces struck the ArcelorMittal Krivoy Rog steel plant in Ukraine's Krivoy Rog overnight with Iskander-M missiles, damaging key production facilities and halting operations. #KrivoyRog pic.twitter.com/7a6m4sTh7p
— WW3 Watchtower (@WW3Watchtower) August 16, 2026
Zelenskyy's remarks
What Ukrainian President Zelenskyy said
Russian attacks in Kyiv sparked fires, injuring six people, including one at a major book market near the Pochaina metro station.
Zelenskyy stated that "wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they strike civilian infrastructure."
He reported that over the past week, Ukrainian cities faced "more than 1,550 attack drones, nearly 1,560 guided aerial bombs, and 62 missiles," urging allies for increased air defense support.
Escalating conflict
Ukraine has ramped up attacks on Russia
Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russia this year, targeting military industries and energy facilities with long-range missiles and drone swarms.
The conflict has also seen increased attacks on logistics giant Wildberries's depots.
Russian strikes also targeted other regions, killing two people in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, one in the border region of Sumy, and another in Donetsk in the east.
European spillover
Drone enters Romania, shot down by fighter jet
Amid the escalating conflict, Romania's Ministry of National Defence reported that a Spanish Air and Space Force F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone entering its airspace.
Romania has also reported several drone incidents since Russia invaded Ukraine.
These developments highlight the far-reaching impact of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine on Europe.