Only 400 of the 5,000 employees remain at the Nikolaev Alumina Refinery, which ceased operations in March 2022 at the onset of the full-scale Russia-Ukraine conflict, an independent local media reported. According to Oleksii Medvid, the acting General Director of Nikolaev Alumina Refinery, the primary responsibilities of the remaining workers include maintaining two red mud (bauxite residue) storage facilities spanning approximately 400 hectares and safeguarding the company’s property.
Oleksii Medvid stated, "These 400 specialists oversee the preservation of the enterprise, its equipment, and two bauxite residue storage facilities. This is the only operational precinct within our company. The bauxite residue remains in storage and does not enter the precinct. It is crucial to monitor the dams."