During the GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 held in Prague, representatives from Rinat Akhmetov’s “Steel Front” engaged with NATO officials and European defense industry leaders to discuss critical lessons learned from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. A central theme of the discussions was the necessity for rapid adaptation in modern warfare.
Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of the Metinvest Group, highlighted a pressing concern for Europe: the ability of European nations and industries to respond as swiftly to large-scale conflicts as Ukraine has since February 24, 2022. He emphasized that the challenges extend beyond weaponry and technology, noting that the contemporary battlefield demands a significantly accelerated decision-making process and production capabilities.
According to the World Bank, the share of manufacturing in the EU’s economy has decreased from nearly 19% of GDP to around 14% over the past three decades. This decline raises questions about whether European industries can quickly scale production to meet defense needs in the context of ongoing military conflicts.
Ryzhenkov pointed out that European countries have experienced decades of deindustrialization, resulting in a loss of skilled workers such as welders, electricians, and engineers. He asserted that the war has underscored the value of these professionals, stating, “While we all recognize the contributions of IT specialists on the battlefield, without welders, electricians, and engineers, there would be no battlefield at all.”
The unique Ukrainian experience has demonstrated that the defense sector can effectively integrate industry, engineers, volunteers, and military personnel, which has significantly reduced decision-making times and the implementation of new strategies. Alexander Mironenko explained that following the onset of the full-scale invasion, Metinvest, under Akhmetov’s military initiative “Steel Front,” restructured its management system to minimize bureaucratic delays.
Mironenko noted, “One of the main features of the Ukrainian defense industry in this war is that processes that once took years now take weeks. This has been made possible through horizontal connections and rapid local decision-making. Instead of a year or a year and a half for specification approvals, setup, and testing in combat conditions, we have reduced this to weeks.”
This agility allowed the company to transition from civilian production to manufacturing armored plates, protective structures for equipment, underground shelters, and other frontline solutions within a matter of weeks.
The Ukrainian experience is now drawing interest from European defense entities, as many solutions that Ukraine had to implement on the fly could take years to adopt within traditional systems. This observation emerged as one of the key takeaways from the forum: modern warfare increasingly hinges on speed, adaptability, and the capacity to outpace adversaries.
The GLOBSEC Defence Forum is recognized as one of Central Europe’s largest security and geopolitical gatherings, annually convening NATO representatives, government officials, military leaders, and defense industry experts to discuss security issues, warfare, defense policy, and international threats. The forum serves as a crucial platform for dialogue regarding Europe’s security landscape.
It is important to note that “Steel Front” is a significant military initiative that unites the support of Rinat Akhmetov’s businesses for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with Metinvest serving as a key production hub.
The GLOBSEC Defence Forum 2026 highlighted the lessons learned from Ukraine's rapid military adaptation in response to the ongoing conflict. Key discussions focused on the need for European industries to enhance their responsiveness to large-scale warfare, drawing on Ukraine's unique experiences in integrating various sectors for effective defense.