Russian strike wipes out 8 million books at Kharkiv warehouse

A Russian assault on a warehouse belonging to the Ranok publishing house and the KnyhoLand bookstore chain resulted in the obliteration of approximately 8 million books, according to Ranok CEO Viktor Kruhlov. The attack, carried out by Russian forces, targeted the warehouse twice using attack drones, with Kruhlov stating that it was a "deliberately planned operation to destroy textbooks and Ukrainian books."

The incident caused an estimated damage of UAH 1 billion, reported Kruhlov. The warehouse also housed books published by various companies within the RNK-Ranok group, such as Fabula, Zhorzh, Shche Odnu Storinku, Readberry, Korali Books, and Varvar. KnyhoLand temporarily halted online orders due to the destruction of the warehouse, while its physical bookstores continued to operate.

Additionally, the attack destroyed a warehouse containing educational materials, including textbooks designed for Ukrainian schools, as reported by Education and Science Minister Andrii Butenko. This marked the second such attack in two weeks, with a Russian strike in July destroying over 410,000 textbooks meant for students in the upcoming academic year.

Both textbooks and electronic versions will be made available to students, and the Education Ministry is working to ensure that the school year begins as planned, according to Butenko. The Kremlin continues to target warehouses and printing houses, aiming to destroy the Ukrainian language, history, and memory, stated Butenko. Electronic books will be made available to students, and the Education Ministry is taking steps to ensure the school year proceeds as scheduled.