Horror as Russia overnight attack on Ukraine destroys 800,000 books

Around 800,000 books were burnt in an overnight Russian attack against Kyiv on July 2. The Kremlin launched 74 missiles and 496 long-range drones, killing at least 30 people in the Ukrainian capital. The attack also destroyed around 800,000 books, according to BookChef, one of the largest publishing houses in Ukraine. The books were stored in the central warehouse of BookChef’s logistics partner Denka Logistics, which was completely destroyed. There are no casualties reported among warehouse employees.

BookChef publishing house specialises in books on self-development, motivational literature, young adult fiction, and fantasy.

The company said on Facebook: “Most of our print stock – approximately 800,000 books – has been lost. These are books that authors, translators, editors, illustrators, designers, printers, managers and logistics teams have worked on. They represent years of work by a great many people.

“Most importantly: all of our people are safe. That is what we are holding on to right now.

“Despite everything, we are carrying on. We know how difficult this night has been FOR EVERYONE. And that is exactly why we will continue to do what we do: publish new books, invest in the development of Ukrainian publishing, and support the economy.

The best way to support us right now is simple: buy our books. Every order is a real contribution towards restoring our print runs and ensuring that Ukrainian books continue to be published, no matter what. Our online shop remains fully operational.”

Ukraine’s publishing industry previously overcame a major setback in 2024 when a Russian attack on Kharkiv, where nearly 80% of books in Ukraine are published, destroyed over 50,000 books in the Faktor Druk printing house, Kyiv Independent reports.

The publishing house is just the latest business to face a major setback because of damages inflicted by Russian attacks.