OREANDA-NEWS.   In response to several media reports linking Mr. Victor Lipukhin, who is currently under investigation in the United States, to Severstal and who was supposed to be one of top-managers at Severstal, the company issued the following statement. Until 2002 Mr. Lipukhin worked for the company's US-based trade office.

He has never been a senior executive at Severstal. For a long time he has been not affiliated with Severstal. We also do not have any information about his activities or whereabouts.