At Least 6 Kyiv Markets Damaged or Destroyed in Russian Attacks Since 2022
Ten days after a Russian strike devastated Kyiv’s Pochaina flea market, vendors are selling salvaged goods on the street as they struggle to rebuild their livelihoods.
Russian missile strikes have destroyed or damaged at least six markets in Kyiv since the onset of Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to an AFP count. The popular Pochaina market in northern Kyiv was hit last month, marking the third attack on the site since Russia's invasion began in February 2022. Vendors at the market, long a hub of commerce in the city, were left with shattered glass, porcelain, vinyl records, and vintage audio equipment after the strike.
Vadym, a former vendor, lamented the loss of several autographed items, including Led Zeppelin and Jim Morrison memorabilia. The market has since been reduced to a charred heap of metal and rubble, forcing vendors to relocate to the street. At the central Lukyanivka market, only a handful of sellers remain, offering basic goods from makeshift tables.
A recent strike at a major book market left thousands of volumes scorched and charred pages littering the streets. Despite the devastation, vendors remain hopeful, describing themselves as optimists. Svitlana, a 63-year-old vendor, lamented the loss of half her stock in an earlier strike, now left with only melted glass. She and other vendors have applied for compensation from Russia, but see little hope of rebuilding their businesses before the end of the war.
Meanwhile, daily Russian strikes continue to kill hundreds of civilians and push millions into poverty, with diplomatic efforts to end the conflict at a standstill.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
