Russia hits Zaporizhstal plant with six missiles in fifth attack

Russian forces attacked the Zaporizhstal steel plant with six ballistic missiles on Saturday, October 17, marking the fifth such assault. The strike damaged internal energy, logistics infrastructure, and blast furnace production sites, according to Metinvest Group. No workers were injured in the attack. The company stated Zaporizhstal has not resumed normal production following previous strikes on August 11, August 27, September 12, and September 17. Russia has now fired 23 ballistic missiles at the plant total, with prior attacks killing eight workers and wounding 31. The plant halted operations after the August 11 missile strike, with only critical processes maintained for equipment safety. Zaporizhstal is Ukraine's third-largest metal producer, with annual capacity for 4 million tons of pig iron, 3.6 million tons of hot-rolled, and 1.2 million tons of cold-rolled steel.