Russian strikes intensify on Kyiv warehouses: AFP analysis

Russian strikes on Ukrainian warehouses in the Kyiv region have intensified significantly in recent months, according to an AFP analysis of conflict monitoring data. Russia has targeted twice as many warehouses in the past three months compared to all previous years of the war combined, disrupting supply chains and causing shortages in the capital.

The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED) has recorded approximately 100 strikes or series of strikes on civilian storage facilities in the region since mid-June, compared to just 50 between February 2022 and mid-June 2026. Despite the strikes being far from the front line, Russian attacks intensified in the region during the summer of 2026, with more bombardment in the first 18 days of September than in any full month since the war began, except for March 2022.

The pace of attacks accelerated in early August, destroying a logistics center belonging to the general merchandise retailer Epicentr. Additionally, distributions sites and fuel stations have been targeted, with many more strikes on fuel stations and depots in 2026 than in the first four years of the war. The intensification of strikes is particularly pronounced near the front line, especially in the northeastern Kharkiv region, where fuel stations and depots have faced six times as many strikes in 2026 compared to all previous years combined.

UN investigators have highlighted the increasing vulnerability of civilians as winter approaches due to these intensified attacks on infrastructure.