Russian airstrikes targeting civilian infrastructure in Ukraine have disrupted food supply chains and raised concerns about potential shortages and price increases, particularly in Kyiv and other major cities. Since early August, Moscow has shifted its focus to civilian sites, including shopping malls and food distribution centers, following Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian warehouses.
Recent attacks struck two key distribution centers for Silpo, one of Ukraine’s largest supermarket chains, and a major logistics hub for Novus in Kyiv. These strikes have led to depleted stocks of fresh produce, dairy products such as sour cream, yogurt, and cheese, and other staples. Some retailers have attempted to fill empty shelves with less perishable items like kombucha to reduce the appearance of scarcity. The Ukrainian government has avoided issuing public warnings to prevent panic, though supermarket chains have notified customers about possible delays in product deliveries. Silpo warned that “some goods will take longer to be delivered.”
Taras Vysotskyi, Ukraine’s agriculture minister, told the Ukrinform news agency on Friday that approximately 90 percent of food logistics operated by retail chains have been destroyed but emphasized that there would be no systemic shortage or threat of famine. “That doesn’t mean Ukrainians will be left without food,” he said.
Many residents in Kyiv report adjusting to the evolving situation by shopping across multiple stores and relying on farmers markets for local produce, which tends not to require warehousing. Tata Verbetska, a 39-year-old Kyiv resident, said bread and meat remain available while some items like beer are scarce. “It’s not like everything is gone,” she added. “You just need to shop around more.”
The recent escalation included a drone strike on an ammunition depot in the village of Myla, in the Bucha district west of Kyiv, on the evening of Friday, August 28. The explosion killed 38 people in nearby residential areas and caused extensive damage to about 130 houses. Emergency services worked through the night into Saturday to contain fires and clear unexploded ordnance. President Volodymyr Zelensky reported at least 20 injured and four people missing as of Sunday.
Zelensky condemned the proximity of weapons storage to civilian zones as “unacceptable” and vowed accountability. The Myla incident raised renewed scrutiny over the risks posed by locating military stockpiles near populated areas. Similar strikes occurred in July and August: an ammunition depot hit in Vyshneve southwest of Kyiv killed nine civilians, and an attack on military infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih on August 21 resulted in 16 civilian deaths and over 130 injuries.
Following the Myla explosion, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry ordered an audit of all ammunition and weapons storage facilities. Meanwhile, the military’s general staff reiterated that Russia bears primary responsibility for the ongoing attacks.
In addition to Kyiv, Russian strikes have damaged major retail centers across multiple regions, including three Epicentr K big-box stores in Zaporizhzhia, as well as similar stores in Sumy and Kryvyi Rih. Analysts suggest this pattern indicates an intensified Russian strategy aimed at disrupting civilian logistics, instilling fear, and exhausting Ukraine’s population amid the protracted conflict.