ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih (AMKR) is restarting blast furnace No.6 this week.

The firm previously said it will increase production of iron ore concentrate to 500,000 tonnes in April in preparation for resuming steelmaking.

AMKR Mining and Processing Plant No2 has continued running throughout the Russian invasion of Ukraine, although it reduced production due to disruptions in logistics routes and the shutdown of blast furnaces.

The firm also aims to restart BF8 in April and increase shipments of iron ore concentrate to Poland.

The Kryvyi Rih-based enterprise is in a more favourable condition than most large exporters because, even before the war, it did not ship concentrate through seaports, but by rail in the direction of Poland, according to mining department deputy director general for production Volodymyr Tesliuk. The firm can thus supply the vast range of ArcelorMittal plants located in the EU.

The restart follows the forced shutdown in March due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AMKR said it will resume its operations step by step, prioritising the safety of its employees who are still working under the constant threat of air raids.