Russian strikes on August 27–28 caused new losses for Ukrainian businesses: a YASNO warehouse storing equipment for solar power plants burned down, while a Shahed drone strike in Kyiv region destroyed a warehouse containing tens of thousands of books belonging to Ukrainian publishers and booksellers. Readeat alone preliminarily estimates its losses at more than UAH 23 million, while more than 60,000 copies were destroyed in the warehouse fire.
The consequences of the attacks were reported by YASNO CEO Serhii Kovalenko, Readeat founder Dmytro Feliksov, representatives of the affected publishers and booksellers, as well as Suspilne Kultura.
According to Kovalenko, one of YASNO’s warehouses was completely destroyed by fire following a Russian attack on August 27. No one was injured.
The warehouse stored part of the equipment used for solar power plants. Most of the equipment was damaged, while the items that survived have already been moved to other warehouses.
YASNO is currently assessing the damage. Kovalenko said the company would continue to meet its commitments to customers regarding the quality and timing of solar power plant and energy storage system installations, as it has sufficient equipment reserves.
The following day, August 28, a Russian Shahed drone struck a warehouse in Kyiv region where books belonging to Readeat, Book.ua and numerous Ukrainian publishers were stored.
Readeat founder Dmytro Feliksov said more than 60,000 copies had been destroyed and that preliminary losses to his business exceeded UAH 23 million.
“Nothing can be saved. Everything burned down,” Feliksov told Suspilne Kultura.
The affected warehouse contained books from publishers including Uroboros, Osnovy, Vikhola, Beagle, Vivat, Khto Tse?, Krapky, A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA, Stylet i Stylos, Creative Women Publishing, Stretovych, Zhorzh and others.
Publisher Khto Tse? said around 80% of all its books had been stored at the warehouse. Krapky reported losing most of its remaining print runs.
Creative Women Publishing had 3,055 books stored at the facility, although the exact scale of its losses is still being assessed.
Vivat also had a significant number of new releases and books by Ukrainian authors stored there. The publisher had previously managed to relocate part of its stock to Lviv and its own bookstores, but the losses have now put its participation in the Knyzhkova Kraina book festival in doubt.
Ivan Malkovych, director of A-BA-BA-HA-LA-MA-HA, said the warehouse from which the publisher directly shipped its books had been destroyed. As a result, delays in fulfilling orders are expected in the near future.
Book.ua said its entire stock of printed books for its online store had been stored at the warehouse. Some of the goods were damaged or destroyed, prompting the company to temporarily suspend the acceptance and shipment of online orders for printed editions. Its physical bookstores continue to operate as usual.
No warehouse employees were injured in the attack.
Readeat has already set up an emergency response team and, together with publishers and logistics partners, is rebuilding supply chains, searching for new warehouse space and exploring mechanisms to compensate for the losses.
Feliksov called on the state to support the book industry through public procurement, subsidies, concessional loans, tax holidays, as well as Ukrainian and European grant programs.
