A major Ukrainian home improvement retailer announced that its entire supply chain has been destroyed following a rapid-fire succession of Russian airstrikes targeting its distribution centers over the weekend.
Epicentr, which operates a vast retail footprint across Ukraine including 53 shopping malls and 197 order pickup centers, detailed the devastation in a public statement published on Telegram. The company listed strikes hitting facilities in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Vinnytsia, and Poltava within a single 24-hour window, declaring the complete destruction of its operational chain.
According to the Russian defense ministry, military forces struck two logistics centers—including one belonging to Epicentr—along with a distribution facility in Kharkiv. Moscow claimed that these targeted locations housed dual-use products intended to supply the Ukrainian armed forces.
The weekend assault also drew condemnation from Ukrainian leadership regarding subsequent emergency response tactics. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on X that Russian forces first targeted a home improvement hypermarket before executing a double-tap strike against the emergency services that arrived at the scene, resulting in injuries to first responders.
The widespread retail destruction comes as Kremlin forces increasingly target non-energy infrastructure across Ukraine, extending attacks beyond the power grid to facilities such as the private delivery service Nova Poshta and data centers operated by Vodafone, Omega Telecom, and Kyivstar. In response, Ukraine has targeted Russian data facilities and online retailers.
Amid the ongoing military escalation, diplomatic signals emerged regarding potential negotiations. Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov announced that Russia is prepared to resume trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine concerning a potential peace deal. According to Ushakov, discussions could resume following November 4, when Moscow marks National Unity Day, placing the timeline just after the United States midterm elections on November 3.
Concurrently, Ukraine maintained its campaign of long-range airstrikes deep inside Russian territory. In the Perm region of the Russian Urals, located approximately 1,850 kilometers northeast of Kyiv, regional governor Dmitry Makhonin reported that a drone attack wounded five employees at an industrial enterprise in the region’s north. Makhonin noted that while the unspecified facility sustained minor damage, it continues to operate normally.
Further south in Russia’s Lipetsk region, an industrial zone strike in Yelets resulted in one fatality, according to regional governor Igor Artamonov. Meanwhile, a nighttime Ukrainian drone swarm targeted the border region of Belgorod. Regional governor Alexander Shuvaev reported that two people were killed in the city of Belgorod, where the strikes damaged 30 apartment buildings, three administrative buildings, and eight commercial facilities.
