A war on words: why Russian strikes are targeting Ukrainian publishers

Europe World Sat, 15 Aug 2026 19:48:19 GMT Moderate confidence — 67/100

On 1 August Russian drone strikes on a logistics and distribution centre in northern Kharkiv destroyed more than 8 million books, in a war being waged not just at the frontline, but on Ukraine's culture and identity.
In a northern district of the city of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, the street leading to one of the country's largest book storage and distribution centres is quiet and green.
From the outside, the scale of the devastation is invisible, save for the wooden panels replacing the windows.

On 1 August Russian drone strikes on a logistics and distribution centre in northern Kharkiv destroyed more than 8 million books, in a war being waged not just at the frontline, but on Ukraine's culture and identity.
In a northern district of the city of Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine, the street leading to one of the country's largest book storage and distribution centres is quiet and green.
From the outside, the scale of the devastation is invisible, save for the wooden panels replacing the windows.

Sources: RFI