KIEV, June 4 - President Viktor Yanukovych said Friday the authorities will help Ukrainian shareholders to fend off a hostile acquisition of the country’s No. 2 steelmaker by undisclosed Russian investors.

The comment comes days after Volodymyr Boyko, the key shareholder of Illich Steel, met Yanukovych asking for urgent help in fending off a “colossal raider attack” against the company.