Russian attacks destroy Epicentr's last major logistics hub in Khmelnytskyi
Russian forces attacked Epicentr's logistics distribution center in Khmelnytskyi ten times on 13 October, causing five large-scale fires and destroying about 85% of the stored goods. No employees were injured, but the company said the strike puts thousands of jobs at risk and has nationwide supply implications.
Key points
- Epicentr's logistics distribution center in Khmelnytskyi was hit ten times on 13 October.
- Five large-scale fires broke out, destroying about 85% of the stored goods.
- Around three dozen drones in the sky hampered firefighting efforts.
- No Epicentr employees were injured or killed.
- The Khmelnytskyi hub was effectively Epicentr's only remaining large warehouse that had survived since the start of the full-scale war.
- Russian forces had previously fully destroyed two of Epicentr's largest logistics complexes in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast.
- Goods from the Khmelnytskyi warehouse were dispatched to Epicentr retail centers nationwide.
Why it matters
The destruction eliminates the last large warehouse capacity Epicentr had built up before the full-scale war, and the company itself warned that thousands of jobs are at risk. Because the Khmelnytskyi hub dispatched to retail centers across Ukraine, the strike has nationwide supply implications rather than just a local impact.
What happened
On 13 October, Russian forces carried out ten attacks on Epicentr's logistics distribution center in Khmelnytskyi. The strikes triggered five large-scale fires that destroyed about 85% of the goods stored inside, while approximately three dozen drones in the sky prevented firefighters from operating. No Epicentr employees were injured. Epicentr said the attack destroyed its logistics capacity and put the salaries and jobs of thousands of people at risk. The same day, Russian forces also attacked other enterprises in the Khmelnytskyi and Shepetivskyi districts of Khmelnytskyi Oblast, causing fires there as well.
Background
Earlier in the full-scale war, Russian forces had fully destroyed two of Epicentr's largest logistics complexes in Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast, making the Khmelnytskyi center the company's last surviving major warehouse. The same day as the Khmelnytskyi strike, Russian forces also attacked other enterprises in the Khmelnytskyi and Shepetivskyi districts of Khmelnytskyi Oblast.