---
title: "A Blow to \"Food Chains\": Why Chilled Products in Ukraine Are Getting More Expensive Even Without a Shortage"
description: "The destruction of major distribution centers is forcing Ukrainian retail to shift to smaller warehouses. Delivery of chilled goods is rising by 35–50%, adding 7–12% to the retail price."
date: 2026-09-02T10:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/blow-to-food-chains-why-chilled-products-in-ukraine-are-getting-more-expensive
tags: [ukraine-retail, cold-chain, logistics, food-prices, inflation, warehouses]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# A Blow to "Food Chains": Why Chilled Products in Ukraine Are Getting More Expensive Even Without a Shortage

![Shoppers at refrigerated shelves with chilled dairy products in a supermarket amid rising prices](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/udar-po-pishchevym-tsepyam-oholozhennye-tovary-dorozhayut/udar-po-pishchevym-tsepyam-oholozhennye-tovary-dorozhayut-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- In the Kyiv region, 80,000–100,000 sq. m of cold storage has been destroyed, while roughly 500,000 sq. m of Class A warehouse real estate has been knocked out across the country — almost 30% of such space.
- Retail is shifting to a decentralized model of smaller warehouses, which raises the cost of delivering chilled goods by 35–50% and adds 7–12% to the retail price.
- Additional pressure on prices is coming from a 28% rise in fuel prices in July 2026 and a persistent labor shortage.

Recent strikes on major distribution centers have intensified pressure on Ukrainian retail and forced the industry to overhaul its entire logistics. Instead of single large hubs, chains are having to shift to a model of smaller warehouses, which objectively raises the cost of every operation. According to UTG estimates, the cost of delivering chilled goods could rise by 35–50%, which ultimately adds 7–12% to the retail price depending on the category, region, and specific retailer. In other words, the price increase is not driven by a shortage of goods on the shelf, but by a broken "cold chain" and rising logistics costs.

### The Scale of the Damage: What Has Been Destroyed

The volume of logistics infrastructure lost is, by expert estimates, comparable to tens of thousands of square meters. According to Alexandra Bondarenko, CEO of the Bureau of Investment Programs and founder of GreenInvest, around 80,000–100,000 sq. m of cold storage has been destroyed in the Kyiv region. Dragon Capital estimates the total volume of Class A warehouse real estate knocked out across the country at roughly 500,000 sq. m — almost 30% of such space. Meanwhile, available space in older-format facilities (Classes B and C) covers only 20–30% of the lost cold capacity, and transporting perishable goods 300–400 km from other regions is economically unviable.

### Who Was Hit Hardest: Fresh and Frozen

Two groups of goods were hit hardest by the destruction of logistics infrastructure. The first is fresh: fresh and perishable products that require constant temperature control. The second is frozen: deep-frozen goods that must be stored at −18 °C or below. For these categories, a break in the cold chain means not just higher prices but the risk of spoilage and write-offs, which is why retailers are forced to restructure their routes and stock levels.

### Decentralization as Retail's Response

To reduce the risk of supply disruptions and local shortages, retail is moving to a decentralized model: instead of one large hub, a chain uses several smaller facilities. Such a setup requires more operations, equipment, and staff, directly increasing costs. Experts also note that direct store delivery (DSD) from the manufacturer can multiply transport expenses by 2–3 times and raise the risk of write-offs, further squeezing margins.

### The Math Behind the Price Hike

According to UTG, the cost of delivering chilled goods could rise by 35–50%, adding 7–12% to the retail price of such goods due to extra logistics costs. For comparison, prices on dry goods could rise by 3–5%. An additional factor pressuring costs has been the price increase in fuel — fuel prices in July 2026 rose by 28% compared to the previous year. A labor shortage also plays a role and, according to the Center for Economic Strategy, will persist due to migration and mobilization.

### What This Means for the Consumer

Retailers are forced to strike a balance between target profitability and consumers' purchasing power, yet the costs of maintaining the cold chain will ultimately be reflected in the price of the everyday shopping basket. Chilled and frozen products are a staple of the diet, so even a moderate 7–12% price increase is felt more acutely by households than price rises on dry goods. Thus, the blow to "food chains" is turning into a structural inflation factor that will persist until the logistics infrastructure is restored.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Meat, milk, and vegetables: why chilled products may see the biggest price increase](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/m-yaso-moloko-i-ovochi-chomu-oholodzheni-1788345331.html) - Источник содержит ключевые цифры: 80–100 тыс. кв. м холодных складов в Киевском регионе (Бондаренко), 500 тыс. кв. м класса A по стране (~30%, Dragon Capital), рост доставки охлажденных товаров на 35–50% и прибавка 7–12% к цене (UTG), рост цен на топливо на 28% в июле 2026 года. Все данные — экспертные оценки, что учтено в статусе.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Why are chilled products getting more expensive if there is enough stock on the shelves?
**A:** Because major distribution centers and the cold chain have been destroyed. Retail has to ship goods from smaller warehouses and over longer distances, which raises delivery costs by 35–50% and adds 7–12% to the retail price.

### Q: Which products will be hit hardest?
**A:** The most affected are the fresh category (fresh and perishable products with temperature control) and the frozen category (deep-frozen goods at −18 °C and below). Dry goods will rise less — by roughly 3–5%.

### Q: How much warehouse space has been destroyed?
**A:** According to Alexandra Bondarenko's estimate, in the Kyiv region — 80,000–100,000 sq. m of cold storage. Dragon Capital estimates the loss of Class A warehouse real estate across the country at around 500,000 sq. m, which is almost 30% of such space.