Reuters reported that Metinvest, Ukraine's largest steelmaker, was no longer accepting new orders from buyers due to the months long crisis in east Ukraine which has forced it to cut production.

Ukraine was the world's fifth-biggest steel exporter last year but many of the operations of the country's producers have been disrupted this year by months of deadly fighting between pro Russian separatist rebels and government forces in the country's east.

A Metinvest spokesman said that until the situation becomes clear, the decision was taken to stop taking new orders and focus on fulfilling existing contracts. It had a strong order book for August and September.