Ukrainian e-commerce company Rozetka is forced to cut staff after a Russian missile strike destroyed its automated warehouse complex in Brovary, Kyiv Oblast.
Rozetka co-owner Iryna Chechotkina announced the layoffs on 12 August, writing on Facebook that downsizing will affect certain departments following the destruction of the facility. She said the decision to reduce staff was personally painful for her.
More than 1,000 employees worked at the Brovary distribution center before the attack. Chechotkina said the company plans to relocate most of the affected workers to other warehouses and is seeking ways to keep them employed, though it will be unable to offer alternative positions to everyone.
At the time of the missile attack on the night of 5 August 2026, 92 employees were inside the Brovary warehouse. None of the workers present during the missile strike were injured. The facility had also been targeted days earlier, on 1 August, when a strike by an Iranian-designed Shahed drone injured six staff members, all of whom are currently completing their medical treatment.
Bomb shelter saved lives
Chechotkina said worker safety during the 5 August attack was enabled by a specialized bomb shelter installed at the complex in 2022. The shelter withstood a direct hit from a ballistic missile and provided essential oxygen supplies to the workers inside while a fire burned around them.
The destruction of the distribution center near Kyiv represents a major economic loss for the company. The destroyed facility was valued at $70 million, and stored goods worth billions of hryvnias were lost in the blaze.
Business model transformation
Following the attack, Rozetka is accelerating a planned overhaul of its business model. Chechotkina explained that the company will significantly reduce its proportion of direct inventory sales and focus more heavily on expanding its online marketplace platform, a transition that was originally intended to occur gradually.
Founded 21 years ago, Rozetka is Ukraine's largest online marketplace and retail platform, operating a network of delivery points and fulfillment infrastructure across the nation. Brovary, located in Kyiv Oblast, serves as a key logistics and industrial hub just east of the capital city of Kyiv.
Government support and risk insurance
Chechotkina also refuted public reports suggesting that Rozetka received government assistance after the strike. She stated that over its 21-year history, the company has never requested or received financial aid from the state, confirming that Rozetka is currently relying entirely on its own resources.
She added that she has publicly expressed her position regarding specific support measures expected from the government, noting that open dialogue between state authorities and businesses damaged by Russian attacks is necessary for all affected companies.
Rozetka owner Vladyslav Chechotkin also urged the state to simplify war risk insurance regulations for businesses. He further called on authorities to streamline rules governing private air defense systems to help commercial enterprises protect critical infrastructure.
