1,200km reach: How Russia’s new missile adds to Ukraine’s air defence woes

In a matter of hours on Oct. 25, Russia launched attacks on four Epicentr hypermarkets, according to the company's statement. Epicentr, a prominent Ukrainian retail chain specializing in home improvement and general merchandise, has endured significant losses due to Russian aggression. The company disclosed that its facilities in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Vinnytsia, and Poltava were damaged or destroyed by Russian attacks during this period.

Epicentr has not disclosed the severity of the damage or when the affected stores might reopen. In Poltava Oblast, a 52-year-old woman was injured during an attack on a hypermarket on Oct. 25. However, other regions have not reported any civilian casualties resulting from the strikes on Epicentr stores. Established in 2003, Epicentr managed 72 hypermarkets across Ukraine prior to Russia's invasion in February 2022.

Since the outbreak of the full-scale war, ten of the company's shopping centers have been entirely destroyed, and an additional 13 have sustained damage. Yuliia Chudnovets, Epicentr's head of public relations, reported on Oct. 22 that Russian forces had targeted five of the company's locations, including one in Kyiv, within the last two days.