On October 20, Russian military forces repeatedly attacked one of the Epicenter hypermarkets in the Rivne region, resulting in a massive fire at the building. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing data from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES). According to the emergency service, the fire engulfed a significant part of the retail facility, and published footage shows the building enveloped in intense flames and thick black smoke.
Extinguishing Process and Factors Complicating Rescuers' Work
The firefighting operation took place in difficult conditions: the work of the crews was affected by the significant fire load of the hypermarket itself, and the threat of repeated strikes on the facility persisted. Because of this, rescuers were forced to periodically withdraw to safe locations. Photos and videos distributed by the SES capture substantial damage to the building's structure after the shelling.
Victims and Deployed Forces
Four people were injured in the attack, three of whom were hospitalized. The SES reported that the fire has been extinguished; 46 rescuers and 13 pieces of emergency service equipment were involved in putting it out.
Strikes on the Epicenter Chain as a Persistent Trend
The attack in the Rivne region became part of a broader series of strikes against the chain's facilities. Thus, on October 20, Russian forces also struck an Epicenter hypermarket in Pervomaisk, Mykolaiv region. Earlier, on October 13, the last large logistics center of Epicenter in Khmelnytskyi was destroyed: the building was attacked ten times throughout the day. These episodes indicate that the infrastructure of the major retail chain regularly ends up in the impact zone.
