Russia destroys Ukrainian Epicenter hypermarket's key logistics hubs: Production halted
Photo: The aftermath of the Russian attack on Epicenter on August 5 (facebook.com/epicentrkua)
Overnight, Russian missiles struck production and logistics facilities of Ukraine's Epicenter hypermarket. One person was killed, and one of Ukraine's largest ceramic tile production facilities has been destroyed.
Russia simultaneously struck two of the company’s key logistics complexes. In Kyiv, on Viskozna Street, one of Epicenter's logistics centers was destroyed by fire.
Another strike hit the logistics and production complex in Kalynivka. As a result of direct missile hits, two large warehouse complexes there were destroyed.
A separate missile struck the production site of the Epicentr Ceramic Corporation plant. The explosion destroyed all production kilns, making it impossible for the plant to continue operations.
Photo: aftermath of the Russian attack on Epicenter (facebook.com/epicentrkua)
Consequences of the Russian attack
One company employee was killed at the logistics and production complex in Kalynivka. Three other colleagues were injured and are currently in the hospital.
Near the logistics complex, the parking lot for employees' private vehicles was also destroyed—20 cars were completely burned to the ground.
"One of our employees was killed, a young man with his whole life ahead of him," the company says in a statement.
Photo: The destroyed Epicentr complex (facebook.com/epicentrkua)
Production halted: What's next
The company has decided to halt production at the Epicentr Ceramic Corporation plant. To avoid product shortages, Epicentr has outlined a plan of action:
- First, production will be transferred to two of the company’s overseas facilities
- At the same time, preparations will begin to launch production at another facility in Ukraine.
According to the company's preliminary estimates, it will take at least a year and a half, and most likely about two years, to fully restore the destroyed production facilities.
"It is not yet possible to definitively assess the scale of the damage. But today, this is not just about the company's losses. This is a targeted strike against Ukrainian manufacturing, logistics, jobs, and the country's ability to recover," Epicenter stated.
Massive strike on Kyiv and surrounding region
On the night of August 5, the Russians launched ballistic missiles twice and attempted to attack Kyiv with drones.
The consequences of the attack were observed in the Obolonskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Desnianskyi, and Holosiivskyi districts of Kyiv, where fires broke out in warehouses and residential buildings.
One woman was killed, and 26 people were injured.
The Kyiv region suffered even more extensive damage.
As a result of the nighttime Russian attack, 14 people were killed, and 22 were injured. The Brovary, Bucha, and Fastiv districts were hit hardest, where Russia struck warehouses and logistics facilities.
