---
title: "“There Is No Shortage, but Logistics Are Under Attack”: Deputy Economy Minister Explains Why Stores May Face Supply Gaps"
description: "Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotsky stated that there is no shortage of socially significant food products in Ukraine, however Russian strikes on distribution centers are causing temporary disruptions in the delivery of goods to stores."
date: 2026-09-02T11:10:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-food-supply-vysotsky-warehouse-attacks-en
tags: [ukraine, food-supply, logistics, war-economy, retail]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# “There Is No Shortage, but Logistics Are Under Attack”: Deputy Economy Minister Explains Why Stores May Face Supply Gaps

![Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotskyi at a briefing explaining shop supply disruptions caused by logistics problems](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/02/ukraine-food-supply-vysotsky-warehouse-attacks/ukraine-food-supply-vysotsky-warehouse-attacks-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotsky stated that no shortage of socially significant food products is being recorded in Ukraine.
- According to him, production of grains and oilseeds will exceed 80 million tons, while domestic consumption is around 20 million tons.
- Russian strikes on distribution centers are causing temporary delivery disruptions, not a lack of goods.
- The official urged against stockpiling food, noting that hundreds of producers operate across different regions.
- Retailers are shifting to a network of small warehouses; costs of transporting chilled products have risen by 35–50%.

In a broadcast on the telethon, Taras Vysotsky, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, stated that no shortage of socially significant food products is being recorded in the country. According to him, production volumes in the main food categories exceed domestic consumption, and Russian strikes on storage facilities are creating only temporary difficulties in delivering goods to stores, rather than affecting their availability in principle.

### Production Exceeds Consumption

Vysotsky listed the categories in which production exceeds demand: vegetables for borscht, grains, flour, bread, cereals, pasta, sugar, and vegetable oil. He also noted that feed production is sufficient to support the output of dairy and meat products. The official cited specific figures: this year, Ukraine will harvest more than 80 million tons of grains and oilseeds, while domestic consumption is around 20 million tons, or roughly a quarter of the total volume.

### Strikes on Logistics, Not on Production

In the deputy minister's assessment, the key problem is not volumes but distribution infrastructure. He noted that Russia is deliberately attacking storage facilities, in particular large distribution centers through which goods arrive in batches, are sorted, and are sent to specific stores. Damage to such facilities causes temporary delivery disruptions: there is physically enough goods, but the distribution system is gradually being restructured.

### No Need to Panic

Vysotsky emphasized that there is no reason for mass stockpiling of food. He explained that hundreds of producers in each category operate across different regions of Ukraine, and it is impossible to completely block the roads and access routes to major cities. At the same time, delivering a wide range of products to every store is currently more difficult, so supplies may be made with a smaller assortment but in larger volumes and at a certain frequency. The necessary goods, he said, will be available at several points of sale and will be able to meet the basic needs of the population.

### Retail Restructuring and Rising Costs

After the destruction of large distribution centers, Ukrainian retailers have begun restructuring their storage and delivery systems, shifting to a network of small warehouses. This particularly affects chilled products: transportation costs for them have, according to available data, risen by roughly 35–50%, which, depending on the category, region, and specific retailer, may increase the final price of goods by 7–12%.

### Contradictory Data

The official position that there is no shortage is at odds with some reports on the situation on store shelves. In particular, a number of publications record empty shelves in major retail chains (notably at “Metro”) and describe how assortment disruptions are spreading across Ukrainian cities following strikes on warehouses. Thus, the assessment declared at the ministerial level — “no shortage of socially significant products” — and the temporary empty shelves observed in retail may reflect different levels of the problem: the availability of goods in the country as a whole versus their physical availability in a specific store on a specific day. Both versions are presented in open sources, and the final assessment depends on the region and the product category.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Russia Strikes Food Warehouses: Vysotsky Says Whether Ukraine Faces a Shortage](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/rosiya-b-e-skladah-iz-produktami-visotskiy-1788347206.html) - Первичный источник: заявления замминистра экономики Тараса Высоцкого в эфире телемарафона — отсутствие дефицита, 80 млн тонн производства против 20 млн потребления, удары по распределительным центрам, призыв не закупать впрок.
- [Russia Destroys Food Warehouses: Will Ukrainians Be Left Without Food](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/rf-unichtozhaet-prodovolstvennye-sklady-ostanutsya-li-ukraintsy-bez-edy-3157739.html) - Корреспондирует с темой ударов по продовольственным складам и вопросами доступности продуктов.
- [Does Ukraine Face a Food Shortage: President's Advisor Explains the Situation](https://www.bagnet.org/news/economics/1402805/grozit-li-ukraine-defitsit-produktov-sovetnik-prezidenta-obyasnil-situatsiyu) - Дополнительный контекст по оценке дефицита на уровне официальных лиц; согласуется с общей картиной отсутствия системного дефицита.
- [Empty Shelves at “Metro”: Food Shortage Spreads Across Ukrainian Cities After Strikes on Warehouses](https://theotherukraine.info/2026/08/31/pustye-polki-v-metro-deficzit-produktov-ohvatyvaet-ukrainskie-goroda-posle-udarov-po-skladam/) - Сообщает о пустых полках в крупных сетях и перебоях в рознице — расхождение с официальной формулировкой «дефицита нет», отражено в блоке «Противоречивые данные».

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Is there a food shortage in Ukraine according to the ministry's assessment?
**A:** Deputy Economy Minister Taras Vysotsky stated that no shortage of socially significant food products is being recorded: production in the main categories exceeds domestic consumption.

### Q: Then why do stores sometimes experience supply gaps?
**A:** According to the official, Russia is deliberately striking distribution centers and warehouses, which causes temporary delivery disruptions, even though there is physically enough goods.

### Q: How much grain and oilseeds are planned to be harvested this year?
**A:** According to Vysotsky's estimate, more than 80 million tons, while domestic consumption is around 20 million tons — roughly a quarter of the volume.

### Q: Is it necessary to stockpile food in advance?
**A:** Vysotsky emphasized that there is no reason for mass stockpiling, since hundreds of producers in each category operate across different regions.

### Q: How are retailers responding to the destruction of large warehouses?
**A:** Retail chains are shifting to a network of small warehouses; costs of transporting chilled products have risen by roughly 35–50%, which may push the final price up by 7–12%.