KIEV, March 25 – Ukrainian steel companies in 2016 could increase steel smelting by 15% compared to 2015, to 26.5 million tons if the ongoing production pace is kept.

"We see growth by some 15% in the first two months of the year and 22 days of March. If the trend retains, we will produce 26.5 million tons of steel this year," Serhiy Bilenky, head of Ukraine's Federation of Metallurgists said at a roundtable held in the profile parliamentary committee.