Kyiv warehouse attacks: Business owner on rebuilding, shortages, and rising costs

Valeriy Baranivskyi, co-founder of logistics company Berger Cargo, said Russian attacks destroyed nearly half of his company's warehouse capacity in the Kyiv region, exceeding 40,000 square meters, with losses estimated at 65 million hryvnias. He stated that no warehouse business in Ukraine has remained unaffected. Baranivskyi noted that despite destroyed walls and ceilings, the reinforced concrete industrial floors and foundations remain intact, constituting up to 40% of warehouse construction costs, making rebuilding cheaper than new construction. He is expanding operations to western regions, including new branches in Chernivtsi and Lviv, while planning to close a damaged Kyiv facility. He dismissed fears of product shortages, saying food and medicine will remain available, though logistics costs may rise by about 10%. Baranivskyi criticized speculative rent increases in western regions, where prices have tripled, and expressed skepticism about private air defense systems, noting ballistic missiles are impossible to intercept with small arms.