In January 2026, the plant rolled its first batch of 524 tons of railway wagon axles, marking the return of a valuable product to the market, despite severe energy instability caused by Russia's ongoing attacks on infrastructure.
Supply disruptions halted production for almost a year
In wartime conditions, the rolling mill faced significant problems in providing the steel blanks needed for the production of axles. Previously, the blanks were supplied by Azovstal.
Last year, due to the ongoing hostilities, the alternative Ukrainian supplier also lost its ability to meet the requirements of the rolling mill. As a result, the specialized mill was idle for almost a year.
After extensive efforts by specialists from the Metinvest Group and Kametstal, alternative solutions were found using imported cylindrical ingots. This allowed the rolling mill to resume production of hot-rolled railway axles for both domestic and European consumers in January 2026.
Major equipment repairs and technical training have been completed
The resumption of production after such a long suspension required careful preparation of both raw materials and equipment at plant 250. The preparation began in December 2025, with rolling
