Russian strike leaves major Ukrainian publisher’s warehouse unusable

Around 300,000 books were stored at a warehouse in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region when Russian forces struck it on Oct. 27. The publisher, KSD (Family Leisure Club), has told Chytomo that extensive damage and ongoing security risks have left it uncertain whether any of the books can be recovered.

The facility contained new releases that had not yet reached bookstores. KSD has not been able to assess how many copies were destroyed or damaged, or how much of the remaining stock can be salvaged.

“At present, because of the security situation, we cannot predict whether we will be able to remove even some of the damaged books from the warehouse. Of course, there were books by both Ukrainian and foreign authors there,” KSD told Chytomo.

On Oct. 28, KSD shared photographs and videos showing the aftermath of the attack. According to the publisher, Russian strikes hit different parts of the warehouse, causing fires that emergency workers worked to extinguish. Books were damaged by flames, water used in firefighting, and heavy smoke, which may also have affected copies that were not directly exposed to fire or water.

KSD director Larysa Huzhvynska previously told Suspilne Kharkiv that all 300,000 books could theoretically have sustained damage. The warehouse also held newly printed titles scheduled for delivery to bookstores ahead of November sales. The publisher has yet to determine which books will need to be reprinted.

Despite the destruction, KSD continues to operate, with its bookstores and online shop still accepting orders. Sales of November releases are scheduled to begin Nov. 5, although some titles will not be available at every physical location. Certain new releases will initially be sold online only.

KSD, based in Kharkiv, is one of Ukraine’s largest publishers, producing Ukrainian and translated fiction, nonfiction, and other titles. According to Ukrainian Book Chamber data previously obtained by Chytomo, KSD published 743 titles with a combined print run of 3.1 million copies in 2025, leading the country in the number of titles released.

This is not the first time Russian attacks have destroyed books belonging to KSD. On Nov. 12, 2025, a drone strike on Kharkiv caused a fire at a transport company’s premises, destroying a pallet of books, including copies of Ukrainian author Max Kidruk’s novel “De nemaie Boha” (“Where There Is No God”).

As reported earlier, a Russian drone strike on Aug. 28 damaged warehouses storing books belonging to numerous Ukrainian publishers and bookstores, including Vivat, Readeat, Book.ua, and Osnovy. Some publishers lost most or all of their stock at the affected facilities.

From May to September 2026, Russia carried out at least 17 strikes on Ukrainian bookstores, printing houses, warehouses, and publishers’ offices. According to Chytomo, Russian attacks caused at least 1.4 billion hryvnias in losses to Ukraine’s publishing industry during the summer of 2026 and destroyed an estimated 11 million books, excluding copies lost at Kyiv’s Petrivka book market.

In response to the attacks, Chytomo launched its “Reading to Endure” campaign to support affected publishers by highlighting books still available for purchase. The initiative encourages readers to help Ukrainian publishing houses recover by buying their books.

Photos: KSD