JYSK has temporarily suspended operations at its stores in the «Amstor» shopping centre in Zaporizhzhia and the «Manufaktura» shopping and entertainment centre in Sumy following Russian strikes on these retail premises. A spokesperson for JYSK Ukraine, Yevhen Ivanitsa, stated that all the company’s staff are unharmed. The resumption of operations will depend on the condition of the buildings and the security situation.
Briefly about the main points
- JYSK has suspended operations at two shops in damaged shopping centres.
- No company staff were injured during the attacks.
- A fire broke out at «Amstor» following the impact, covering an area of around 500 square metres.
- The attack on «Manufaktura» claimed the lives of two people, and more than 20 were injured.
- JYSK shops will close in the event of any type of air raid alert.
A fire at «Amstor» in Zaporizhzhia was brought under control following a strike
On the night of 11 September, Russian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on Zaporizhzhia. One of the targets hit was the «Amstor» shopping centre.
According to the State Emergency Service, a fire broke out there covering an area of around 500 square metres following the strike. Rescue workers suspended their operations and took cover due to the threat of further attacks, and subsequently extinguished the fire.
According to preliminary reports, a 32-year-old woman and her 10-year-old son were injured during the night-time attack on the town.
«Manufaktura» in Sumy has suffered further setbacks following its closure
A Russian drone attacked «Manufaktura» Shopping Centre» On the evening of 9 September. The strike hit the area around the façade and the entrance to the building, where people were present. According to updated reports, two 21-year-olds — a young man and a young woman — were killed; more than 20 people were injured, including teenagers.
The shopping centre reported significant damage, has suspended operations indefinitely and is carrying out clean-up and restoration work. On 10 September, the premises were attacked twice more, whilst they were already closed to visitors. The fires that broke out following the subsequent strikes have been extinguished.
A return to normality depends on the security situation
The company has not specified when its shops will be able to resume normal operations. JYSK attributes this to the condition of the buildings and the security situation.
A representative of JYSK Ukraine Yevhen Ivanytsia, commenting on the decision, emphasised: «It seems the level of terror has risen to a new level. The main thing is that all the staff are safe.».
JYSK continues to follow the rule of closing its shops in the event of any alarm
The company has stated that it will only operate in the absence of any such as an air-raid siren, regardless of the threat classification. The JYSK website in Ukraine also states a general rule: all shops are closed during an air-raid alert.
The government’s tiered alert system allows businesses to operate at lower threat levels provided that appropriate safety measures are in place and access to shelters is available, but does not require them to do so. JYSK’s approach, therefore, constitutes a stricter corporate safety policy.
