Russian strikes hit Epitsentr stores in four Ukrainian cities
Russian forces attacked Epitsentr retail locations in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia and Poltava on October 25, causing fires, destruction and injuries. The company said the attacks were part of the "total destruction of the network."
Key points
- Epitsentr reported attacks on its stores in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia and Poltava within less than a day.
- The Kharkiv store in Osnovianskyi district was destroyed, and one rescuer was injured while extinguishing the fire.
- A 52-year-old woman was injured in an attack on the Poltava retail complex.
- A large fire broke out at the Zaporizhzhia store; responders localized it and no workers were injured.
- No casualties were reported from the attacks in Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhia.
- Epitsentr said the attacks included repeated strikes and described them as the "total destruction of the network."
- During October, Epitsentr stores were damaged or destroyed in Kyiv, Uman, Pervomaisk, Khmelnytskyi, Dubno and Kovel.
Why it matters
The attacks damaged large retail facilities in four cities, injured civilians and a rescuer, and extended a series of strikes on the same retail network. The company said the latest attacks included repeated strikes and amounted to the total destruction of its network.
What happened
Russian forces attacked Epitsentr locations in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia and Poltava on October 25. In Kharkiv's Osnovianskyi district, the store was destroyed and one rescuer was injured during firefighting. A 52-year-old woman was injured in Poltava after a Shahed struck the retail complex, while the scale of the damage was still being clarified. In Zaporizhzhia, the attack caused a large fire that firefighters localized; no workers were injured. The attacks in Vinnytsia and Zaporizhzhia caused no casualties. A 39-year-old man was also reported injured in the Kharkiv attack.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian reporting emphasizes the scale and recurrence of the attacks on Epitsentr, noting earlier strikes on stores in other cities. Coverage focuses on the fires, destruction, injuries among civilians and rescuers, and the company's characterization of the attacks as the total destruction of its network.
Where reporting differs
Sources differ on the number of rescuers injured in the Kharkiv fire. Most reports say one rescuer was injured, while one report says two State Emergency Service rescuers were hurt after a repeated strike.
Background
The Epitsentr building in Kharkiv's Osnovianskyi district was already attacked in August and September, when one man was killed and six others were injured. The company's last Kharkiv store reportedly burned down in an attack on the evening of October 24, before the Osnovianskyi district location was struck overnight. Other Epitsentr stores in Kyiv, Uman, Pervomaisk, Khmelnytskyi, Dubno and Kovel were damaged or destroyed earlier in October.