Logistics attacks affect 9 in 10 enterprises in Ukraine, IER research shows

9 in 10 Ukrainian enterprises are affected by Russian attacks on warehouses, distribution centres and logistics infrastructure. 7% of companies have suffered direct losses, while 41% have experienced indirect losses due to supply disruptions and rising prices. Another 43% face a real risk of being affected.

These are the findings of IER research titled “Business Support for Logistics Resilience Policy Measures”, conducted with the support of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). The research formed part of the 52nd wave of IER’s monthly survey “Ukrainian Business During the War”, conducted from 17 to 31 August 2026. A total of 465 enterprises took part in the survey.

Key findings

7% of enterprises suffered direct losses, such as damaged property or destroyed goods. A much larger share, 41%, were affected indirectly through supply disruptions and rising prices. Another 43% have so far avoided the consequences but feel that the risk is very real.

“In other words, only 1 in 10 enterprises can say that logistics attacks do not affect them. This explains why the impact of the attacks is felt by a much wider range of companies than those whose warehouses have been directly hit: an attack on one logistics hub reverberates through the supply chain far beyond the immediate site. The strongest impact is on costs,” says Oksana Kuziakiv, co-author of the research and Executive Director of IER.

A significant impact on the prices of raw materials and resources was reported by 44% of enterprises, while 43% reported an impact on transportation costs. Slightly fewer enterprises reported impacts on deliveries to customers and delivery times (37–38%), product storage and the availability of raw materials (31–33%).

When moderate impacts are also taken into account, 87–91% of companies report an impact across each of the six areas. In other words, supply chains generally continue to operate and goods are not necessarily lost, but keeping them running is becoming increasingly costly.

When it comes to what businesses expect from the government, the consensus is striking: a majority of enterprises support each of the 10 proposed measures, with support ranging from 65% to 80%.

The most widely supported measures are:

• compensation and insurance against war-related risks (80%);
• financial support for recovery after an attack, physical protection of warehouses, and maintaining operational capacity (78% each).

However, supporting a government measure and considering it an urgent priority are not the same thing. When enterprises were asked to choose only the 3 most important measures, the responses were:

• compensation and insurance against war-related risks (38%);
• physical protection of warehouses (35%);
• financial support for recovery, including concessional loans and tax deferrals (32%).

Among the 213 enterprises that have already been affected either directly or indirectly, 44% consider physical protection of warehouses critically important, compared with 30% among the remaining enterprises.

Assessments of different support measures also vary by the geographical location of businesses. In Central Ukraine, which is currently a major target of attacks, businesses place greater emphasis on prevention: 44% of enterprises consider physical protection critical, compared with 34% for compensation.

In the East, both figures are high and almost equal (57% and 54%), indicating that both types of support are needed simultaneously. The situation is quite different in the West and North, where compensation is 15–17 percentage points ahead of physical protection.

Prevention and compensation priorities by macro-region

* The North has a small sample (29 enterprises), so the results are indicative. The South is not shown due to the small number of observations (13).

What the authors and businesses say

The research also included an online focus group. “Enterprises are already adapting to risks on their own: they are dispersing stocks across several locations and regions, using rented facilities, building up stocks of critical raw materials, looking for alternative suppliers and routes, and limiting public information about warehouse locations. Some companies keep part of their stocks abroad,” says Yevhen Anhel, co-author of the research and Senior Researcher at IER.

Focus group participants confirmed the main findings of the survey and added several important points:

• Protection capacity depends on the size of the enterprise: large manufacturing companies find it difficult to ensure adequate protection without government involvement. At the same time, small businesses, which often operate in rented premises, lack the necessary funds. Co-financing, concessional financing and grants are therefore needed to strengthen protection.
• The speed of assistance is no less important than its size. Support needs to arrive while an enterprise can still resume operations or relocate production. Lengthy procedures can significantly reduce the practical value of even substantial compensation.
• Existing war-risk insurance does not always meet businesses’ needs: for large enterprises, coverage limits may amount to only a small share of potential losses.

IER recommendations

Based on the survey and discussions with businesses, IER recommends:

• maintaining compensation and insurance, physical protection of warehouses, and financial support for recovery as top priorities;
• strengthening prevention by introducing financial incentives for businesses to take protective measures in advance, alongside information and awareness-raising;
• taking regional risk profiles into account: frontline regions need protection, rapid compensation and simpler procedures; logistics hubs need preventive measures and adequate coverage limits; regions further from the front line need information and incentives;
• making access to support programmes a permanent part of the support system through a single programme portal, advisory assistance and simpler procedures for documenting losses;
• maintaining and strengthening support instruments for SMEs, including a fast-track compensation mechanism, coverage for losses of goods stored in third-party warehouses, collective protected warehouses, and co-financing for preventive measures for small businesses;
• reviewing insurance coverage limits and requirements for state compensation of insurance premiums;
• involving chambers of commerce and business associations as intermediaries in providing information and documenting losses.

About the research

The analytical report was presented as part of the project “The Needs of Ukrainian Businesses Ahead of the Autumn-Winter Period: Research Results and Recommendations for Government Support”. The project is implemented in partnership with the Kyiv Foresight Foundation and the Economic Expert Platform, with the support of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE). As part of the project, IER examined how enterprises cope with Russian missile and drone attacks on warehouses and logistics infrastructure. The research drew on the 52nd wave of IER’s monthly survey (August 2026, 465 enterprises) and a focus group with business representatives. Based on the results, IER prepared an analytical report and a policy brief containing 12 recommendations on preventing damage, compensation and recovery. The findings were presented at a public presentation and expert discussion and covered in a series of articles.

The research materials are available in Ukrainian at this link.

Media contact: Shkarpova@ier.kyiv.ua