SCM businesses, Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, and Shakhtar Football Club have allocated over $165 million (or 158 million euros) in 16 months of full-scale invasion to support the country, military personnel, and civilians.
The main directions of aid include support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, humanitarian support for the civilian population, support for communities, as well as preparation for the reconstruction of Mariupol.
Support for Ukraine's defenders is implemented within the framework of the military project "Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front". This is an especially important issue for SCM, as over 13,000 employees of the company's businesses have joined the ranks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and over 800 of our colleagues have lost their lives.
Through the "Steel Front," military units from across the country receive ammunition, vehicles, ambulances for military medics, drones, thermal imagers, optic sights, radios, cameras, clothing and footwear, first aid kits, and turnstiles, as well as fuel and other necessary items. In particular, Metinvest has developed and supplied over 200 modular shelters for frontline fighters capable of withstanding artillery strikes. The metallurgical group also supplies steel for vehicle armor, manufactures armor for body armor, and provides metal for the production of mobile bridges. Within the framework of a joint initiative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and "Ukrtelecom," 20 military brigades will receive 2,430 information management systems to enhance communication and combat capabilities.
Additionally, Rinat Akhmetov has allocated UAH 1 billion ($25 million) for the project "Heart of Azovstal" to support the defenders of Mariupol, which is a part of the "Steel Front." Assistance under the project is already being provided. In total, in 2023, within the framework of six program streams of the project, support is planned for nearly 10,000 defenders of the city and their family members.
Systemic humanitarian aid from SCM businesses and Rinat Akhmetov's projects is provided to peaceful Ukrainians in the front-line zones and liberated regions. People receive food, clothing, household items, medicine, hygiene products, and more. In cities where SCM operates, efforts are made to provide refuge shelters and bomb shelters, hospitals, sources of light and water, and more. Support is provided to local administrations and communal services, from fuel to personal protective equipment.
Since the beginning of the war, Rinat Akhmetov's Foundation has delivered 700,000 units of medication and over 630,000 food kits to Ukrainians. New projects have been launched to assist in the rehabilitation of adults, provision of water disinfection tablets, heaters, and assistance in arranging a dormitory for Mariupol residents in Dnipro.
Shakhtar Football Club also provides systematic support to athletes, displaced persons, Ukrainian defense forces, and residents of war-affected regions. The club organized and covered all expenses for the treatment of Azovstal defender, marine infantryman Mykhailo Dianov, in the United States. They have also taken responsibility for organizing the treatment and rehabilitation in Barcelona for Vitaliy Shumei, a severely wounded soldier near Avdiivka.
A separate and important direction of support for the country for SCM and Rinat Akhmetov is contributing to Ukraine's recovery, says Natalia Yemchenko, the SCM Communications Director. "Our position has remained unchanged since the first days of the war – Ukraine will win. So we are already investing in the reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructure, construction of new production facilities, creating new jobs, and attracting European investments into the country's economy. Our metallurgical enterprises are ready to provide steel for post-war recovery and have developed new technologies for steel construction. The energy business is investing in the development of green energy and the construction of the first Smart Grid infrastructure in Ukraine for the areas in the Kyiv region affected by the invasion. As a personal initiative, Rinat Akhmetov has allocated UAH 60 million ($1.5 million) for the creation of the Mariupol Revival Plan in 2023 as part of the "Mariupol.Reborn" initiative”, -Yemchenko shaid.
BACKGROUND
SCM is the largest investment group in Ukraine, operating worldwide. Currently, SCM enterprises and holdings operate in Ukraine, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Italy, Bulgaria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Rinat Akhmetov, a renowned Ukrainian businessman and philanthropist, is the sole owner and investor of SCM.
