Overnight into August 16, one of Ukraine’s largest book markets, located in Pochaina, caught fire after a Russian attack, damaging the warehouses and offices of several Ukrainian publishers. This is not the first time Russia has attacked the book industry. In the summer of 2026, more than 9.6 million books belonging to Ukrainian publishers burned in the shelling. This is about a third of their annual print run.
Yellow Blue explains what losses publishers have suffered and how to support them.
How Russia is destroying Ukrainian book businesses |
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Publishers affected in the summer of 2026
RNK-Ranok
About the publisher. One of the first publishing houses founded in independent Ukraine. RNK-Ranok has operated in Kharkiv since 1997 and today brings together a number of publishers that release children’s and adult literature, as well as comics, manga, and textbooks for Ukrainian schoolchildren, in Ukrainian, English, and ten other languages. It is Ukraine’s second-largest publisher by the number of books printed annually.
How it was affected. On August 1, Russian drones hit the company’s logistics center. The fire lasted for three days, and more than eight million books burned, including about 600,000 textbooks for Ukrainian schoolchildren. The RNK-Ranok team estimated the losses at $27.4 million. Reprinting the lost books will take two to three years. Textbooks will be reprinted first.
During a ballistic missile attack on Kyiv overnight into August 16, RNK-Ranok lost another 40,000 copies, and its office premises were also damaged. The corporation continues operating and selling the books that survived.
Some publishers in the RNK-Ranok group lost almost all of their products. Zhorzh and Fabula are encouraging readers to place preorders, while One More Page is selling a support certificate that can later be exchanged for a book.
How to support the publisher
- Order print or electronic books on the RNK-Ranok group publishers' website and through Zhorzh’s social media accounts (international shipping is available).
- Place a preorder.
- Buy an $11 support certificate from One More Page.
- Donate using the provided payment details.
BookChef
About the publisher. BookChef has operated since 2016 and is among Ukraine’s five largest publishers. The company releases international fiction and nonfiction bestsellers, as well as Ukrainian classics and works by contemporary Ukrainian authors. BookChef also operates as an online store where books from 135 Ukrainian publishers can be purchased. There is a separate section for books in English.
How it was affected. On July 2, Russia destroyed a warehouse belonging to the publisher’s logistics partner, Denka Logistics, and more than 800,000 books burned. In early August, a Russian attack destroyed another Denka Logistics warehouse, and BookChef lost 100,000 more books, including inventory and new releases that had just arrived from the printing house.
Overnight into August 16, a Russian attack damaged the BookChef office again, affecting the roof and facade of the building, the windows, part of the warehouse premises, and a photo area being prepared for exhibitions. The team is assessing the losses and continues working. Orders may be shipped with a slight delay.
How to support the publisher
- Buy BookChef print books on its website.
- Place an order through the BookChef online store.
- Donate using the provided payment details.
Nash Format
About the publisher. Nash Format has operated since 2006 and is among Ukraine’s ten largest publishers. The company specializes in nonfiction. Its books include international bestsellers on business, economics, history, and self-development, as well as biographies and memoirs. The Nash Format website is one of Ukraine’s largest online bookstores, selling books from 50 Ukrainian publishers. Delivery is available within Ukraine and abroad.
How it was affected. Overnight into August 16, an explosion damaged the Nash Format office, including its walls, ceiling, and furniture. The publisher’s communications manager Anastasiia Nebola tells Yellow Blue that no employees were injured and that the team is now assessing the extent of the harm.
In July 2025, a Russian attack destroyed the warehouse used by the publisher and its online store. All the windows were blown out, parts of the walls and ceiling collapsed, and furniture was damaged. Many books burned in the fire. The company estimated the losses at approximately $100,000. At the time, it took Nash Format a month and a half to return to normal operations.
How to support the publisher
- Buy Nash Format electronic, print, or audiobooks on its website.
- Place a preorder.
- Order books from Ukrainian publishers through the online store.
Knyholav
About the publisher. Knyholav has operated since 2016 and is among the country’s 15 largest publishers. About 60 percent of its range is children’s literature, while the rest consists of fiction and nonfiction for adults. Knyholav also publishes some works by Ukrainian authors in English. One example is the illustrated guide to Ukraine, Travelbook. Ukraine.
How it was affected. On July 19, 2026, a Russian missile completely destroyed Knyholav’s warehouse and about 250,000 copies of books. The company estimates its losses at a minimum of $6.7 million.
The publisher is accepting orders for books that were stored at its office and at partners' warehouses. Knyholav Communications Director Maryna Synooka tells Yellow Blue that partners helped the company continue operating without interruptions by offering warehouse space free of charge, assistance with logistics, and discounts on their services. According to her, Knyholav has already sent some of the lost print runs back to print, including bestsellers and new releases that had not yet reached readers.
How to support the publisher
- The team encourages people to donate to verified fundraisers for the Ukrainian military and to buy Ukrainian books.
- Order print or electronic books on the website (international shipping is available).
- Place a preorder.
Artbooks
About the publisher. Artbooks has operated since 2015 and is among Ukraine’s ten largest publishers. It specializes in children’s and adult fiction and illustrated publications by international and Ukrainian writers and artists. Its range includes bilingual publications, such as a coloring book with interesting facts about Ukraine.
How it was affected. In July, several Artbooks print runs burned after missiles hit the Konvi-Print printing house. Books worth about $9,000 were also damaged at a Nova Poshta terminal attacked by Russia. In August, after the attack on the RNK-Ranok warehouse, another approximately 2,700 Artbooks copies worth more than $22,000 burned.
How to support the publisher
- Buy print and electronic books on its website.
The Old Lion Publishing House
About the publisher. The Old Lion Publishing House has operated in Lviv since 2001 and is among Ukraine’s five largest publishers. It initially specialized in children’s literature and later added fiction and nonfiction for adults to its range. In addition to translated literature, the publisher issues works by Ukrainian authors and illustrators and promotes them internationally. Its books have been published in translation in more than 40 countries.
How it was affected. The Old Lion Publishing House tells Yellow Blue that after the missile attack on the Konvi-Print printing house, more than 5,000 copies burned completely in the fire. Among them was the print run of Ukrainian writer Bohdan Kolomiichuk’s new detective novel, The Lviv Gambit. The publisher also postponed the release of several new titles that were supposed to be printed by Konvi-Print.
How to support the publisher
- Buy print and electronic books on its website.
Small independent publishers
How small publishers were affected. In addition to major publishers, small publishers of educational literature, children’s books, and literature for adults by Ukrainian and international authors were also badly affected by Russian attacks. Their books burned at the Konvi-Print printing house, in warehouses near the Pochaina book market in Kyiv, and at RNK-Ranok warehouses in Kharkiv, where the KnyhoLand bookstore chain also stored its products.
Yellow Blue journalist Sofiia Korotunenko spoke with several affected publishers. Tetiana Kidruk, co-founder of the popular science publisher Bearded Tamarin, says they lost some of their bestsellers worth about $1,600. Vavylonska Biblioteka, a publisher of intellectual fiction from around the world, also lost several print runs. Hanna Burlaka, the publisher’s communications manager, explains that this loss is tangible and a substantial obstacle for them as small publishers.
Overnight into August 16, during a missile attack, Laboratoriia, a publisher of nonfiction by international and Ukrainian authors, was affected. The publisher’s communications manager Yuliia Rosokha tells Yellow Blue that its warehouse and office were damaged. Walls and the roof collapsed, leaving books under the rubble. No fire broke out, so no print runs were completely destroyed. The surviving books have already been moved to other premises and can be ordered on the website. Laboratoriia will sell some of the damaged books at a reduced price. The team is still clearing the rubble and assessing the damage.
That same night, the warehouse of Vikhola, a publisher that works with many young Ukrainian authors, was damaged for the third time. The books survived, and only furniture the company uses at book exhibitions and festivals was damaged.
The attacks also affect the work of companies that have not been directly hit. The Yakaboo Publishing team told Yellow Blue that printing now takes longer because of the heavy workload at printing houses. There are several reasons for this. Some printing houses are out of operation, while affected publishers are reprinting their lost print runs.
“But any production inconveniences we face are incomparable to what our colleagues who have lost equipment, print runs, and the ability to operate fully are going through. We hope they recover quickly and encourage people to support them,” the Yakaboo Publishing team adds.
How to support the publishers
- Books can be ordered from the publishers' websites: Bearded Tamarin, Vavylonska Biblioteka, Laboratoriia, and Vikhola.
- They can also be purchased through the online stores of major publishers and booksellers, including BookChef, Nash Format, Vivat, Yakaboo, Knyharnia Ye, and KnyhoLand.
