From the very first days of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s government, society and business stood together against Russian aggression. Among those who directed the resources of their companies towards supporting the country is Rinat Akhmetov. His enterprises have been operating under wartime conditions since February 2022, and helping people remains a priority for the businessman.
View on the War and the Formula for Victory
Akhmetov describes Ukraine’s victory in unequivocal terms: a complete ceasefire, the withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of the country’s internationally recognised borders, including Crimea and the Donbas.
The strikes on residential areas and the destruction of cities he describes as a war crime for which there is no justification. In his words, Putin’s sights are set on states with democracy, freedom and independence, which means the threat extends to the entire free world.
Lines of Support
The assistance from the businessman’s structures is organised along several tracks. The civilian side has been taken on by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, together with the Heart of Azovstal project supporting the defenders of Mariupol and their families. In parallel, SCM enterprises continue to pay their employees’ salaries and have focused their efforts on saving lives.
The military track has been brought together under the Steel Front. This is an initiative of Rinat Akhmetov that united all military assistance from his businesses for the defenders of Ukraine. Through it, the armed forces and territorial defence units receive resources to protect the sovereignty and independence of the state.
Solutions for the Front Line
The enterprises of the Metinvest Group develop and manufacture their own solutions for the military. These include:
- mobile steel shelters, produced at the group’s plants and installed underground – more than 900 shelters have already been delivered;
- the conversion of shelters into command posts for the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- two underground hospitals – the first of their kind in Ukraine – built in line with NATO specifications, equipped with modern medical equipment and designed for more than 100 patients per day.
These developments come from working production facilities: engineers adapt metallurgical capacity to the needs of defence, and the finished structures are sent where they save lives.
In this way, industrial capability is turned into real protection for both military and civilians, and the metal from the plants serves the country’s security no less than its economy.
SCM businesses, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, Heart of Azovstal and Shakhtar FC have collectively directed $368 million (more than UAH 13.5 billion) to assist Ukraine, its Armed Forces and civilians during four years of the full-scale invasion. A significant portion of the funds went to defence needs through the Steel Front initiative and to humanitarian projects.
Rinat Akhmetov himself remains in Ukraine and has no intention of leaving the country.
