Russia hits Indian billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s steel plant in Ukraine; 2 killed, 14 injured

An Indian billionaire’s business interests have been caught in the widening Russia-Ukraine war after a Russian missile struck the ArcelorMittal mining and metallurgical complex in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, on Sunday.

The plant, owned by Indian-origin billionaire Lakshmi Mittal’s ArcelorMittal, is Ukraine’s largest integrated steel unit. The attack killed two people and injured 14 workers, while damage to energy infrastructure and blast-furnace operations forced a partial suspension of production.

The strike came after Ukraine launched a major drone offensive against targets deep inside Russia.

Ukraine launches major drone attack

Russia said Ukraine sent hundreds of drones towards its territory overnight. Moscow regional governor Andrey Vorobyov described it as "one of the most massive drone attacks in recent memory".

Russia’s defence ministry said 822 drones had been intercepted across the country. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said around 600 drones had been detected heading towards the capital, with about a third destroyed over the Moscow region.

An 83-year-old man was killed when a Ukrainian drone struck a private home in the Moscow region, Vorobyov said. A separate attack triggered a fire at a Wildberries warehouse in Podolsk.

In Russia’s Rostov region, more than 150 drones targeted three towns, killing five people, according to Governor Yury Slyusar. Several homes and a railway station were damaged, while a forest fire was also reported.

Russian retaliation hits key steel plant

The Russian strikes on Ukraine followed the drone barrage. ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih confirmed that one of its sites had been hit and that operations were partially suspended.

The plant is located in Kryvyi Rih, the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian officials said the attack targeted a metallurgical plant and military-industrial facilities in Kyiv.

Other Russian strikes across Ukraine also caused casualties. Two people were killed in Zaporizhzhia, while deaths were reported in Sumy and Donetsk. Russian attacks in Kyiv wounded six people and sparked fires, including at a major book market near the Pochaina Metro Station.

Zelensky, reacting to the overnight strikes, said that "wherever the Russians can reach with their ballistic missiles, they strike civilian infrastructure".

Drone war spills into NATO territory

The latest attacks also brought the conflict closer to NATO territory. Romania said a Spanish F-18 fighter jet shot down a drone after it entered Romanian airspace near Galati, close to the border with Moldova.

Romania has reported dozens of drone-related incidents since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including cases where drones crashed or exploded on Romanian territory.

With long-range attacks intensifying and peace talks stalled, both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly targeted infrastructure far from the frontline.