KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine’s richest man says he plans to sue Russia over what he mentioned was $17 billon to $20 billion in losses attributable to its bombardment of metal crops he owns within the devastated metropolis of Mariupol.
The Azovstal steelworks suffered heavy harm from Russian bombing and shelling after the sprawling plant turned the final bastion of defence within the southern port metropolis. The Illich Steel and Iron Works, additionally owned by Akhmetov, was additionally badly broken throughout Russian shelling of Mariupol.
“We will certainly sue Russia and demand correct compensation for all losses and misplaced enterprise,” Rinat Akhmetov, who owns the largest Ukrainian steelmaker Metinvest, instructed Ukrainian information portal mrpl.metropolis in an interview.
Asked how a lot cash Metinvest had misplaced due to the harm to Azovstal and Illich, he mentioned: “The substitute value … due to Russian aggression is from $17 to $20 billion. The ultimate quantity will likely be decided in a lawsuit in opposition to Russia.”
Billionaire Akhmetov had already seen his enterprise empire shattered earlier than the warfare by eight years of combating in Ukraine’s east after pro-Russian separatists took over swaths of territory there.
Since Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, Metinvest has introduced it can’t ship its provide contracts. While Akhmetov’s monetary and industrial SCM Group is servicing its debt obligations, his non-public energy producer DTEK has restructured its debt portfolio, he mentioned.
Akhmetov mentioned he had remained in Ukraine for the reason that warfare with Russia started, including: “We consider in our nation and consider in our victory.”
(Reporting by Natalia Zinets,Editing by Timothy Heritage)