HELPING WAR EFFORT

Metinvest Group has launched the production of steel underground command posts, which protect military personnel command teams on the front line from the effects of shelling. The first unit, which accommodates 30 servicepeople, has already been delivered to the ground forces of Ukraine, free of charge, and has been installed in one of the fiercest hotspots on the front line. The command posts help to save lives, as they can be deployed and dismantled quickly and, if installed properly, offer protection against artillery fire of any calibre. They consist of five or six separate mobile bunkers, depending on the configuration, the production of which Metinvest established in October 2022. These are interconnected underground shelters that perform various functions: from living quarters and sanitary facilities, to working areas for command staff. This creates an entire underground complex of buildings. “Unfortunately, the war has been with us for a long time. Hostilities have become a constant reality for every Ukrainian, particularly for those who defend our country in the armed forces,” says Metinvest COO Oleksandr Myronenko. As such, he says the development of improved bunkers and entire underground complexes, is a contribution from the group and forms part of Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov’s Steel Front initiative to improving the living conditions of fighters on the front line. “People are our most important asset. If we can create a safe space from shelling and make it as comfortable as possible, we will do so. I hope that there will be more and more such command posts on the front line, and these ‘underground towns’ will become a reliable pillar for military command teams,” says Myronenko. He adds that Metinvest is also planning to develop new configurations of underground steel complexes for other needs of the country’s armed forces.