How the full-scale war affects operations of Rinat Akhmetov’s business
The net worth of the famous businessman Rinat Akhmetov has dropped 64% since the beginning of the full-scale war. In particular, Metinvest Group lost two-thirds of its business. Read more here: kyivindependent.com. Rinat Akhmetov’s assets in media have also depreciated; SCM Holding has already given up its broadcasting licenses to the National Council for Television and Radio Broadcasting. Akhmetov’s Media Group Ukraine included 10 satellite and cable channels. His company SCM is cautious in its comments on this assessment.
The businessman flew to Kyiv on 23 February 2022, one day before the full-scale invasion. He has never left the territory of Ukraine since then. Rinat Akhmetov was the first major businessman to publicly condemn Russian aggression and begin systematic support for the Ukrainian army. Despite colossal losses, Rinat Akhmetov regularly provides both military and humanitarian aid.
His assistance is focused on the Ukrainian military, civilians, and separately on the defenders of Mariupol, as well as preparations for the reconstruction of the city. Assistance reaches the defenders of Ukraine as part of the businessman’s Steel Front military initiative. The army consistently receives protective gear, vehicles, engineering structures, ambulances for military medics, drones, thermal imagers, scopes, radios, cameras, apparel and footwear, first aid kits and tourniquets, fuel, and other essentials.
Rinat Akhmetov’s initiatives have donated more than 1,200 vehicles, 47,268 first aid kits and tourniquets, 5,000+ UAVs, 17,037 units of special equipment, etc. Over the two years of the full-scale war, Rinat Akhmetov allocated UAH 7.6 billion towards helping Ukraine.
Recovery assistance
SCM and its shareholder contribute to the ongoing and future reconstruction of Ukraine, which is another critical area of their assistance. Investments are already being made to rebuild destroyed infrastructure, build new production facilities, create new jobs, and attract European investment into the country’s economy.
By a separate personal decision, the shareholder allocated funds to create a post-war Mariupol Recovery Plan as part of the Mariupol.Reborn initiative. As part of the project, work has begun on the architectural transformation of Ukrainian schools together with the Ministry of Education at the initiative of Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.
Additionally, Rinat Akhmetov also initiated a project to support the defenders of Mariupol, called Heart of Azovstal. In particular, the At Home program was launched, gifting apartments to Mariupol defenders with disability category I and II.
