The “Khortytsia” distillery in Zaporizhzhia, one of the key production assets of the international alcohol holding company Global Spirits, was completely destroyed as a result of a Russian attack and cannot be restored, the company’s press office told NV Business on August 28; the news was also reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
According to Global Spirits, the facility was struck four times, after which the fire raged for at least three hours. The company lost approximately 3–4 million bottles of finished products, for which excise taxes had already been paid. Some of the goods were completely burned, while others melted and must be disposed of. The company estimates the average cost of a single bottle at approximately 100 UAH.
Thus, the cost of the destroyed finished products alone could amount to about 300–400 million UAH, not including the cost of production equipment, buildings, infrastructure, and losses resulting from the plant’s shutdown.
The “Khortytsia” plant was built from the ground up and began operations in 2003. Prior to the fire, it employed more than 500 people, and the bottling lines had a capacity of up to 16 bottles per second. In addition to “Khortytsia” vodka, the company produced products under the “Morosha,” “Pervak,” “Medova,” “Pshenichna Sloza,” and Gold Ukraine brands.
This is already the second major blow to Global Spirits’ logistics and production infrastructure in the past month and a half. On the night of July 19, a Russian missile destroyed the company’s main finished goods warehouse in the Kyiv region. At that time, the warehouse facilities and inventory were destroyed, and preliminary damage exceeded 100 million UAH, of which approximately 74 million UAH consisted of previously paid taxes.
Following the loss of its Zaporizhzhia facility, Global Spirits retains its other production sites. The holding company’s official website, under the “Our Plants” section, currently lists the Odessa Cognac Plant and the “Hetman” plant in Lviv. The Lviv facility has six modern Italian production lines and manufactures approximately 160 varieties of vodka.
The Odessa Cognac Plant is one of the oldest enterprises in the industry in Ukraine. Its history dates back to 1863 and is linked to the Shustov dynasty. Global Spirits acquired the facility in 2007. The plant has a full production cycle for brandy and cognac, Europe’s largest distillation facility, and a stock of more than 15,000 barrels of cognac spirits.
In addition to its Ukrainian facilities, the list of production sites on Global Spirits’ corporate website includes the Owensboro Distilling Company in Kentucky, USA, which produces American bourbon, as well as Compañía Tequilera Hacienda La Capilla in the state of Jalisco, Mexico, where tequila is produced.
Global Spirits positions itself as one of Europe’s largest international spirits holding companies. Its products are available in more than 87 countries, its headquarters are located in New York, and its proprietary distribution infrastructure covers 31 U.S. states. The company reports a production capacity of over 300 million bottles per year and more than 5,000 employees.
Its portfolio includes more than 15 alcoholic beverage brands, among them “Khortytsia,” “Morosha,” “Pervak,” Shustoff, Oreanda, San Marino, “Medova,” and others.
Over the years, the “Khortytsia” brand has repeatedly been ranked among the world’s largest vodka brands. As early as 2006, it made the top 10 of the World Millionaires’ Club; in 2015, the IWSR named “Khortytsia” the world’s third-largest vodka brand by sales volume; and in Drinks International’s 2019 ranking, the brand was also among the top three globally.
By the end of 2025, Global Spirits had strengthened its position in the global vodka market. In The Spirits Business’s The Brand Champions 2026 ranking, published in June, “Khortytsia” took third place among the world’s best-selling vodka brands with a volume of 11.7 million nine-liter cases, trailing only Smirnoff and Absolut. Another Global Spirits brand—“Morosha”—took fourth place with 11.2 million cases and was named the 2026 Vodka Brand Champion.
In addition, Global Spirits’ “Pshenichna Slioza” vodka nearly tripled its sales in 2025—to 6.1 million nine-liter cases—and entered the global top 10 for the first time, taking eighth place.
Thus, the destruction of the Zaporizhzhia plant affected not only a major Ukrainian enterprise but also the production base of the holding company, whose brands are among the global leaders in the vodka market. At the same time, the presence of facilities in Lviv, Odesa, and outside Ukraine allows Global Spirits to redistribute part of its production, although the company has not yet disclosed exactly where the volume previously produced by the “Khortytsia” plant will be compensated for.
According to NV Business, citing YouControl, Global Spirits Group LLC’s revenue in 2025 fell by 54.3% to 1.4 billion UAH; however, the company moved out of a loss of 235.3 million UAH and posted a net profit of 57 million UAH.
According to Interfax-Ukraine, Valery Kirilko, CEO of the “Industrial Parks of Ukraine” group of companies, believes that one solution for changing Ukraine’s warehouse logistics model—given the enemy’s destruction of warehouse and logistics infrastructure—is to create a decentralized network of small warehouses, particularly within industrial parks.
“The war has shown just how vulnerable large distribution centers are. Therefore, we may need to partially move away from concentrating large volumes of goods in a single location and transition to a decentralized network of small warehouses,” –he wrote on Facebook.
According to his proposal, this could mean replacing a single large warehouse spanning tens of thousands of square meters with many smaller ones—ranging from 1,000 to 5,000 square meters—located in different regions and logistically convenient locations.
“That is precisely why we are currently developing the ‘HELP.Warehouse’ program. We are creating several standard designs for small warehouse complexes that can be quickly adapted to a specific plot of land and implemented simultaneously in different regions of Ukraine,” Kirilko noted.
He emphasized that the company is ready to take on the design of standard warehouse facilities, the search for and acquisition of land plots, matters related to utilities and infrastructure, the selection of construction contractors, the organization of construction, and the coordination of project implementation.
“With proper organization, such facilities can be built in approximately 3–5 months. And today, there is another important factor at play—the Ukrainian construction market is going through a challenging period. But that is precisely why many construction companies are willing to work with minimal profit margins, quickly assemble teams, and carry out projects at competitive costs,” he believes.
Kyrylko added that industrial park sites across Ukraine are being considered separately.
“Some of them are already prepared to provide land plots for such projects on preferential or even free terms during the initial period. We can begin restoring warehouse and logistics infrastructure right now,” he notes.
Kirilko invited those who are able to finance such projects—including those who own a land plot that can be leased free of charge for a year, industrial parks that can provide a small plot free of charge for a year, and construction companies acting as investors—to join the initiative.
The company “Industrial Parks of Ukraine” has been active in the development of industrial parks since 2019. According to its data, nearly one in three industrial parks established or registered in Ukraine is or has been supported by the company’s specialists.
According to information on its website, the company manages seven industrial parks, has developed 56 industrial park concepts, and has facilitated the registration of 37 industrial parks.
INDUSTRIAL PARK, INFRASTRUCTURE, LOGISTICS, UKRAINE, WAREHOUSE
According to “Serbian Economist”, Ukraine ranked sixth among Montenegro’s foreign tourism markets in July 2026 in terms of the number of overnight stays in collective accommodation facilities, as evidenced by new MONSTAT data published on August 27.
Ukrainian tourists spent 43,400 nights in hotels, tourist complexes, hostels, and other collective accommodations. In total, approximately 7,350 tourists from Ukraine stayed at such accommodations during the month.
Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, the United Kingdom, and Russia ranked ahead of Ukraine in terms of the number of overnight stays. Ukrainians accounted for about 4.4% of all overnight stays by foreign guests.
At the same time, the flow of tourists from Ukraine remains fairly stable. The number of tourists from Ukraine has remained virtually unchanged compared to July of last year, while the number of overnight stays decreased by approximately 3%.
Serbia remains the leader in Montenegro’s tourism market, accounting for about a quarter of all foreign overnight stays. At the same time, the influx of Russian tourists rose sharply in July: the number of overnight stays by Russians increased by more than 60% year-over-year.
In total, 244,800 tourists and 1.08 million overnight stays were registered in Montenegro’s collective accommodation establishments in July. Foreigners accounted for over 90% of overnight stays.
However, the actual role of Ukrainians in Montenegro’s tourism sector is greater than what the July hotel statistics indicate. MONSTAT does not include private apartments and vacation rentals—which Ukrainian tourists actively use—in this monthly report. As of 2025, Ukraine accounted for 4.7% of foreign overnight stays in Montenegro’s private sector.
Stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles held by U.S. forces in Europe have plummeted following large-scale deliveries to Ukraine and particularly heavy ammunition consumption during the war with Iran, raising concerns about NATO’s ability to repel sustained ballistic missile attacks.
The Associated Press reported this on August 27, citing a U.S. military official in Europe and a NATO spokesperson, both of whom spoke on condition of anonymity.
According to the U.S. official, the most serious problem concerns the Patriot missiles specifically designed to intercept high-speed ballistic missiles.
He described inventory levels as “below critical” and stated that U.S. forces in Europe currently “definitely” do not have enough interceptors to repel a sustained series of ballistic missile strikes.
The official described the ability to defend against even a single ballistic strike or an errant Russian missile that has veered off course and is heading toward NATO territory as “very limited.”
A NATO spokesperson who spoke with the AP also confirmed the low level of Patriot stockpiles among U.S. and NATO forces in Europe.
However, both the Pentagon and NATO officially reject assessments of a critical shortage.
NATO’s senior military representative, U.S. Army Colonel Martin O’Donnell, told the AP that the claim that the number of Patriot missiles in Europe is “below critical levels” is not true. According to him, NATO has sufficient air defense capabilities both for its own protection and to continue assisting Ukraine.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also dismissed reports of a shortage of U.S. ammunition as false and stated that the U.S. military has the necessary stockpiles to conduct operations.
Nevertheless, independent assessments show a significant reduction in U.S. reserves.
According to Mark Kansian, a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Ukraine has received more than 600 Patriot missiles from U.S. and allied stocks since the start of the full-scale war.
However, the main factor behind the sharp decline in reserves was the U.S. war with Iran.
According to CSIS estimates, approximately 65% of U.S. Patriot stockpiles—roughly 1,500 out of 2,330 interceptors—were expended during the campaign against Iran. By the end of July, CSIS analysts estimated that the remaining U.S. Patriot stockpiles stood at fewer than 1,000 missiles.
Ed Arnold, an expert at the British Royal United Services Institute, noted that deliveries to Ukraine had been planned in advance and were relatively manageable, whereas the need for massive deployment of interceptors in the Middle East arose much sooner than expected, exposing the limitations of the production chain.
The shortage is particularly acute for Europe, as there are currently few alternatives to the Patriot system for intercepting modern ballistic missiles.
France and Italy are developing a new version of the SAMP/T NG system, which is expected to have broader capabilities against ballistic targets; however, this new variant has not yet been tested in actual combat conditions. The current version of the SAMP/T has a shorter range than the Patriot.
A sharp increase in production capacity should partially resolve the problem.
In 2026, approximately 600–650 modern PAC-3 MSE missiles are expected to be produced, and the U.S. defense industry plans to increase production capacity to 2,000 interceptors per year by 2030. Lockheed Martin and the Pentagon have already signed agreements designed to significantly expand production.
Additional production capacity is being established directly in Europe.
In September 2026, the first European production center for Patriot missiles is scheduled to launch in Schrobenhausen, Germany. The facility is being established by COMLOG, a joint venture between MBDA Deutschland and the American company Raytheon.
The new facility will carry out final assembly and testing of PAC-2 GEM-T missiles. The first deliveries are expected in 2027. Among the countries that have already placed orders, AP lists Germany, the Netherlands, Romania, and Spain.
Raytheon received a separate $3.7 billion contract in April 2026 to produce GEM-T missiles for Ukraine. The company explicitly stated that the new plant in Germany is also expected to play a key role in replenishing Ukraine’s stockpile of interceptors.
For Ukraine, this situation means increased competition for the limited supply of missiles being produced. Kyiv needs the Patriot system primarily to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, which remain one of the most challenging targets for Ukraine’s air defense.
At the same time, U.S. manufacturers must replenish their own stockpiles, meet the needs of European NATO members, fulfill orders from Middle Eastern countries, and continue to support Ukraine.
CSIS warns that even with a significant ramp-up in production, it will take several years to fully replenish U.S. stockpiles. Until new production lines reach full capacity, the U.S. and its allies will have to prioritize the allocation of a limited number of interceptors among Europe, Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific region.
Andriy Butenko, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science, together with Marcin Kulasek, Poland’s Minister of Science and Higher Education, opened a new International Center for the Shared Use of Scientific Equipment on Mount Pip Ivan and signed a declaration of cooperation.
“We agreed to develop the Carpathians as a shared European space for science and education: joint research, student and researcher exchanges, and support for young researchers. A telescope has been installed here under a dome, specifically designed for challenging high-altitude weather conditions. Next, a robotic system will be added to the telescope—and it will be possible to control it remotely. This is one of four high-altitude observatories of this caliber,” Budenko wrote on Facebook.
According to him, the observatory was restored by the Vasyl Stefanyk Carpathian National University in collaboration with Polish partners.
“They will work here together, but the equipment is also open to others: any research team will be able to submit an application,” the minister said.
He noted that astronomy is not the only field of study here, as the Chornogora range features high-altitude flora and distinct ecosystems where the climate and nature can be studied. There are meteorological laboratories on site.
The minister recalled that the observatory was built back in 1938 as a research station for the University of Warsaw. Later, the Soviet authorities destroyed it, and for decades, ruins stood on the mountaintop. Ukrainians and Poles restored it together. The project began back in 2012.
In the 2025/26 season, Ukraine significantly increased domestic rapeseed processing—to 43% of the harvest, compared to 16% a year earlier, according to “Agribusiness Today.”
Of the approximately 3.3 million metric tons of rapeseed available, Ukrainian companies processed about 1.4 million metric tons, while about 1.9 million metric tons were exported.
The shift in market structure is already affecting shipments to the European Union. Ukraine is exporting fewer rapeseed seeds while simultaneously increasing shipments of products with higher added value.
During the first eight weeks of the new season, Ukrainian rapeseed oil exports to the EU increased approximately fivefold—to 24,000 metric tons. According to the publication’s estimates, processing about 60,000 metric tons of seeds was required to produce this amount of oil.
During this period, Ukraine accounted for about 56% of rapeseed oil imports into the European Union.
Thus, the Ukrainian rapeseed sector is gradually shifting its business model: instead of primarily exporting raw materials, an increasing portion of the harvest is being processed domestically into oil and meal.
This allows most of the value added to remain in Ukraine while reducing processors’ dependence on imported raw materials and the need to utilize other oilseed crops at processing facilities.
