On 4 September, Russian troops attacked warehousing and logistics facilities in the Odesa region. According to local media and the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centres, a warehouse complex belonging to the ATB chain in the village of Dachne was hit. A massive fire broke out following the strike, with the flames engulfing lorries near the warehouses.
The strike hit the warehouses in Dachne
Reports of the attack emerged on the afternoon of 4 September. According to local Telegram channels, a Russian attack drone struck an area containing warehouses in the village of Dachne in the Odessa district.
The Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centres has stated that this concerns the chain’s warehousing infrastructure ATB. The photos and videos that have been released show a large column of black smoke and a major fire on the premises of the logistics complex.
Following the strike, it was not only the warehouses that caught fire — the blaze spread to the lorries on the complex’s premises. Footage from the scene shows lorries that have been damaged and engulfed in flames.
ATB lorries were on fire
Local sources report that some of the lorries used to transport goods, was destroyed by fire.
Some sources have published videos showing lorries bearing the ATB chain’s logo near the depot. However, the exact number of vehicles damaged or destroyed has not yet been established.
Similarly, there is as yet no confirmed information regarding the quantities of goods that may have been inside the warehouse complex at the time of the strike.
At the time of publication ATB has not published an official estimate of its losses but did not say whether the damage to the facility would affect the supply of goods to shops in Odesa and the surrounding region.
This is not the first blow to ATB’s logistics operations in the Odesa region
Over the past few weeks, Russian troops have repeatedly attacked food and warehousing infrastructure in the Odesa region.
On 30 August, following yet another Russian strike in the Odesa region, warehouses containing foodstuffs were also on fire. Local sources at the time linked the targeted facility to the ATB chain, although the regional authorities did not officially disclose the name of the company.
The latest attack was yet another instance in which logistics for a food retail chain. Previously, Russian strikes on the warehouses of major retailers in Ukraine had already led to localised disruptions in the supply of certain categories of goods.
Attacks on warehouses could disrupt supplies
Large distribution centres supply dozens or even hundreds of shops at the same time: goods are received from manufacturers here, consolidated into consignments and dispatched to retail outlets.
Therefore, even a temporary closure of a single such facility may require routes to be re-routed, other depots to be used, or a switch to direct deliveries from manufacturers.
However, There is currently no reason to talk about a shortage of goods in ATB shops due to the current attack. The company has not reported any suspension of supplies or restrictions on the operation of its retail network.
The full extent of the damage to the warehouse complex and freight transport will become clear once the clean-up operations have been completed and the losses assessed.
