1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov” received a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million from Metinvest: total annual support reached UAH 600 million
Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.
With this delivery, the total amount of assistance provided to the “Azov” Corps since the beginning of the year has reached UAH 600 million. The funds are being allocated to equip the units with modern frontline technologies, as well as to cover logistics and technical maintenance.
“In 2025, we continued to support the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine in areas that are critical for combat operations: electronic warfare (EW), unmanned aerial systems (UAS), communications, as well as rear-area and technical support. The total amount of this support is UAH 600 million”, said Oleksandr Vodoviz, Head of the CEO’s Office at Metinvest Group.
Representatives of the Corps emphasize that such support is crucial in the context of modern warfare, where technological superiority directly affects the outcome of operations and the safety of personnel.
“In 2025, equipment requirements have increased many times. Electronic warfare systems, drones, and secure communications determine the success of operations and save the lives of our fighters. We are grateful to Rinat Akhmetov’s “Steel Front” for its large-scale support of the Corps: the scope of this assistance allows us to cover significant operational needs. It is important for us to see a business that takes responsibility and clearly understands what exactly Ukraine’s defenders are facing today”, said Lieutenant Colonel Ivan Ihnatyev, Deputy Commander of the Corps for Logistics.
Military officials note that under current conditions, not only financial support is important, but also business’s understanding of the real needs of the front and readiness to contribute systematically to meeting those needs.
Rinat Akhmetov’s “Steel Front” brings together companies of the SCM Group to support Ukraine’s Defense Forces. A central role in the initiative is played by Metinvest Group, which is responsible for production and logistics. Within the framework of the initiative, the company not only purchases equipment, but also manufactures engineering structures from its own steel, including portable shelters (“kryivky”), mine-clearing trawls, and protective barriers for armored vehicles.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Rinat Akhmetov has directed more than UAH 12.8 billion to support military and civilian needs.
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