In east Ukraine lies one of Europe’s biggest coking plants. In order for it to feed steel plants in other cities around the country hundreds of workers have to man its furnaces around the clock even if a barrage of rockets is falling all around them. It’s been hit by about 230 rocket and artillery attacks since the start of the conflict with Russian-backed insurgents in east Ukraine over a year ago.
On a recent visit to Kyiv, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, called the workers a model of Ukrainian “resilience”.
The Avdiivka Coke and Chemical Plant is situated close to the ‘contact line’ between Ukrainian government forces and well-armed Russian-backed militants. In a single attack on May 24, 70 projectiles rained down on the complex. Now bits of rockets and shells lie scattered around the perimeter, but the management say they are trying to stay in operation.
Grigory Kleshnia, Metinvest Quality Director: “Staff at the plant and the company management do everything possible so that the factory will not shut down because our plant employs 4,000 people. They are mainly local residents”.
The plants pre-conflict output was 12-12,500 tons a day, but the war has disrupted supplies of coal and electricity, cutting production to around 5,300 tons. Workers say a shutdown would devastate the local economy.
The Avdiivka plant, is owned by industrial tycoon Rinat Akhmetov, one of Ukraine’s richest men. It provides the fuel for the steelmaking industry, itself a vital branch of Ukraine’s economy.
At the plant work continues in spite of the conflict. Nobody here mentions the Minsk agreements, brokered in February by the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France, which were supposed to cement a ceasefire and usher in peace talks.
(https://uatoday.tv/society/trapped-on-ukraine-rsquo-s-frontline-life-in-one-of-europe-rsquo-s-biggest-coking-plants-446274.html/Ukrainian Metal)