KIEV, Feb. 27 - The Donetsk metallurgical plant, part of Donetsksteel Group, on Monday stopped operating its only active blast furnace, N1, over lack of iron ore as a result of a railway blockade in the disengagement zone and discontinued supplies of the raw material.

On Sunday the daytime shift melted 400 tons of cast iron and blast furnace N1 stopped working, a company representative told Interfax.

The furnace used to produce 1,400-1,700 tons of cast iron per day, around 1,500 tons on average, he said. The second blast furnace has been out of work for a long time, so only one was operational.