Wars cause damage and losses, and there is not a single Ukrainian who has not been affected by the armed invasion of the Russian Federation. People keep losing their homes, family and friends, jobs, property and savings. Businessmen are no exception, and even the richest people are suffering from the war.
Rinat Akhmetov is a well-known Ukrainian businessman whose fortune has halved since the beginning of 2022. His assets have been turned into dust and ruins, but he does not lose faith in Ukraine’s future victory and uses all his resources to help the country.
What business areas were affected by the Russian invasion?
Mr Akhmetov had assets in various business areas, and all of them suffered losses in one way or another.
The businessman’s steel plants have been mostly affected. Azovstal and Ilyich Iron and Steel Works were among the biggest production plants in Europe. Today, the once large plants are concrete ruins in the temporarily occupied Mariupol. The raw materials and products remaining in the warehouses at the time of the invasion were taken to Russia or destroyed by bombing of the city. As of today, steel production in Ukraine has fallen by 50 percent.
According to this article, Ukraine’s energy facilities are in a critical state. DTEK barely has time to repair and restore networks and stations that Russia destroys with targeted missile attacks. Ukraine’s green energy sector, which has seen active development recently, has suffered painful losses: most of the windmills are located in the south of the country where the invaders were able to gain a foothold.
Agriculture is another mostly affected sector. Much of the fertile soil owned by Akhmetov’s companies is under occupation. It is difficult for farmers to work in the accessible areas: the fields are thick with mines and there is always a risk of coming under shelling. In addition, business suffers from disruption of logistics routes due to Russia’s attempts to block the Black Sea.
Many commercial real estate and sports infrastructure facilities owned by the businessman were destroyed. The media holding suffered the least, but according to Rinat Akhmetov https://www.euractiv.com/section/europe-s-east/news/ukraines-richest-man-agrees-to-hand-over-media-empire/, these assets have been transferred to the state in accordance with the applicable laws.
Despite the horrific list of losses, Rinat Akhmetov continues to help the military and civilians. The businessman plans to sue Russia and demand compensation for damages, as the aggressor must be held accountable for its crimes.
The material was prepared based on https://kyivindependent.com/ukraines-top-oligarch-akhmetov-loses-half-his-assets-to-russias-invasion/.
