Director General of the Mariupol Illich Iron and Steel Works (Donetsk region), which is part of the Metinvest group, Taras Shevchenko considers the restoration of metal enterprises in Mariupol to be real.

"We do not have a complete picture of the damage to the plants. Yes, of course, there is damage, the infrastructure is broken. But I am sure that as soon as the Mariupol metallurgists have the opportunity to get to our beloved city and our enterprises, we will definitely be able to restore and put into operation our metallurgical plants. This task is quite real," the head of the enterprise said on Ukraine 24 TV.

At the same time, he said that the indestructible Mariupol has become a symbol of the steel rebelliousness of all Ukraine. While the defenders courageously defend the city, the Russian invaders destroy the infrastructure, civilian facilities and industrial enterprises of Mariupol. The Russians then mass-produce fake news and false propaganda videos from these frames.

"A lot of the Russian media enthusiastically demonstrate the chronicles of the "liberation" of Illich Iron and Steel Works. In this regard, the question arises: were they released from whom and from what? Dismissed 14 thousand employees of the enterprise from the opportunity to work? Dismissed people, my colleagues, from the opportunity to have a decent salary? From the possibility of ordinary social living conditions in Mariupol? Why were they fired? It's just a mockery," the director general said.

He also said that the nature of the actions of the aggressor country in Mariupol and in general in Ukraine is quite obvious: the purposeful and systematic destruction of the industry and cities of Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. In particular, in Mariupol, two metallurgical plants were destroyed: Azovstal and Illich Iron and Steel Works, as well as the city itself.

Illich Iron and Steel Works and Azovstal are part of the Metinvest group.