Taras Vysotsky, the Minister of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, stated at a briefing that Ukrainian retail chains may face only temporary supply delays and a partial reduction in assortment due to enemy strikes on distribution centers. According to him, the existing production capacity of Ukrainian manufacturers is fully sufficient to cover domestic consumption for each of the basic product groups, so there is no threat of a physical shortage of goods. This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing UNIAN.
Official position: no physical shortage
Vysotsky directly answered the question of whether there would be a physical shortage of products in the country: "There is no such threat." At the same time, he acknowledged that the likelihood of a reduction in the assortment does exist. "Is there a chance that the assortment may be reduced? Yes, there is such a chance. But at the same time, the products will still be available in every settlement in one form or another," the minister explained. Thus, the official line boils down to the fact that shelves will not empty, but the choice of goods on them may become narrower.
Logistics under pressure: delivery disruptions
The main difficulty, according to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, is not related to production, but to delivery. "Where there is difficulty — indeed, short-term disruptions in terms of delivery may arise, because logistics needs to be changed. The form is changing, including to maximum direct delivery," Vysotsky noted. The market, he said, needs time to redistribute stocks, as part of the reserves were destroyed along with the distribution facilities.
Affected categories: no specific assessment yet
It is currently impossible to identify specific categories of the most affected goods. The entire range of products was stored at the destroyed distribution facilities — from long-term drinking water to perishable goods. This means that disruptions may affect various product groups, but the ministry does not yet provide specific statistics for each of them.
Context: strikes on distribution centers
The minister's statement came against the backdrop of a massive night shelling, as a result of which fires broke out at two distribution centers of the "Silpo" chain on August 5. According to available data, six workers died as a result of the strikes. Earlier, RBK-Ukraine also reported on the deadlines when the "Silpo", "Fara", and Thrash chains plan to restock shelves after new Russian shelling. Thus, the current logistical difficulties are directly related to the physical destruction of warehouse infrastructure.
