Ukrainian intelligence officers paralysed a strategic Russian plant: what are the peculiarities of OEMK
3 July 2024 16:50
On the night of 1 July, Ukrainian intelligence services conducted a successful operation against an important industrial facility in Russia. The Main Intelligence Directorate and the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine jointly organised a drone attack on the Ugarov Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant (OEMK) in the Belgorod region, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports citing Nv.ua.
According to the newspaper’s sources, the attack targeted two key power substations in the region – Stary Oskol and Metallurgical, the latter of which is considered one of the largest in Europe. As a result of the attack, OEMK was completely de-energised, which led to the shutdown of all electric arc furnaces and the solidification of metal in them.
Experts estimate that it may take several months to restore the plant’s operations and will require significant efforts. The situation is further complicated by the fact that the plant was built using German technology, and without the participation of foreign specialists, its full restoration may be problematic.
OEMK and its importance for the Russian military-industrial complex
The Oskol Ugarov Electrometallurgical Plant (OEMK) is a unique metallurgical enterprise located in the city of Stary Oskol in the Belgorod region of Russia. The plant was founded in 1974 and produced its first products in 1982.
OEMK is distinguished by being the only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise in Russia that uses direct reduction of iron and electric furnace smelting technology. The plant uses the blast furnace-free MIDREX direct reduction technology and electric arc smelting, which produces metal that is virtually free of harmful impurities and residual elements. The company specialises in the production of high quality steel, including alloyed speciality steels (SBQ) for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries.
OEMK is of crucial importance for the Russian military-industrial complex, as it supplies special types of steel for various branches of the defence industry. However, its operation is highly dependent on an uninterrupted power supply due to the specifics of the production process.
The plant was built with the participation of German specialists and using German technology, making it particularly dependent on foreign expertise in the event of serious technical problems.
