A massive Russian missile strike completely destroyed two key warehouse complexes belonging to the Epicentr group of companies and brought production at the Epicentr Ceramic Corporation plant in Kalynivka, Kyiv Oblast, to a halt. A missile destroyed all the production kilns at the plant, meaning that the production of ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware is currently impossible, the company reported.
Briefly about the main points
- Direct missile strikes completely destroyed two of the group’s storage complexes.
- The fulfilment centre on Viskozna Street in Kyiv has been completely destroyed by fire.
- The furnaces at the Kalynivka plant have been destroyed and production has been halted.
- The company produced up to 12 million square metres of tiles each year.
- It may take around two years to rebuild the plant.
A centre that processed online orders has burnt down
One of the destroyed buildings — an automated fulfilment centre on Viskozna Street in Kyiv. It stored goods, picked online orders and arranged for their delivery to customers; following the strike, the centre was completely burnt down.
The facility covered an area of around 30,000 square metres. It utilised an automated control system and conveyor-based cargo handling technology. The company has not disclosed the location of the second complex that was destroyed.
The group’s logistics system ensured centralised deliveries to shopping centres and the fulfilment of online orders across the country. The company has not yet announced how the loss of its warehouse infrastructure will affect delivery times and the operation of its retail network.
The damaged kilns made it impossible to produce tiles
The missile struck the production site of Epicentr Ceramic Corporation in Kalynivka, Kyiv Oblast, directly. The explosion destroyed all the kilns — the key equipment used to produce ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware.
The factory was commissioned in 2019. Its production facilities covered around 83,000 square metres, its production capacity stood at 12 million square metres of tiles per year, and it employed around 540 people.
The company’s products were sold in Ukraine and exported to countries in Europe and the Middle East. The shutdown of the plant may also affect these supplies, although the company has not assessed the potential scale of the disruption.
It may take around two years to restore production
According to a preliminary assessment by «Epicentre», the full restoration of the plant will take at least one and a half years, and most likely around two years. The work will involve the purchase and installation of new industrial furnaces, the repair of production lines, the reconstruction of premises and the restart of production processes.
The group has not yet disclosed the final figure for the losses. The company’s statement also contains no information regarding fatalities or injuries at the affected sites themselves.
