A Russian attack on a KSD warehouse in Kharkiv has pushed back new releases due to start Nov. 5, the Ukrainian publisher said, with its damage assessment still pending.
KSD said no employees were injured. It had not assessed damage at the facility or chosen a new release date. The publisher also said the attack in the surrounding area was continuing when it posted on Oct. 27. Its notice coincided with the Day of Ukrainian Writing and Language. In an English translation of its statement, KSD wrote, “Fortune was not on our side today.” The company did not say how many books or what value of stock were affected.
KSD’s reported attack comes amid wider losses in Ukraine’s publishing sector. The KSE Foundation said attacks during summer 2026 destroyed more than 13 million freshly printed books at printing houses and warehouses, causing at least UAH 1.75 billion in direct industry losses.
The foundation says damage can strain a small publisher’s finances beyond the cost of lost stock. A press that loses a print run may lack the cash to finance its next title, while delivery interruptions can postpone revenue from book sales. The KSE Foundation says the sector had been recovering since 2022. It has also warned that publisher closures can limit authors’ access to readers and take books out of circulation.
The Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, KSE Foundation, Ukrainian Book Institute and International Book Arsenal Festival partnered to launch the grant initiative; the KSE Foundation will administer fundraising and grant distribution. The initiative seeks to raise $500,000, with its first round aiming to support at least 20 small publishers. It is intended for independent publishers that release up to 20 new titles a year. Applications are scheduled to open in November 2026; the application form, eligibility details and deadline are expected to be published then.
