Major Khortytsa vodka plant destroyed in Russian strike on Zaporizhzhia
A major plant producing Ukraine's Khortytsa vodka brand has been destroyed in a Russian attack on Zaporizhzhia, owner Global Spirits told NV.
The company said the plant was hit at least four times and burned for about three hours. It cannot be restored.
Around 3 million to 4 million bottles of finished products were lost in the attack. Some were completely destroyed by fire, while others melted and will have to be disposed of.
More than 500 people worked at the plant, one of Global Spirits' main production facilities. Its bottling lines were capable of producing up to 16 bottles per second.
The facility produced Khortytsa as well as several other vodka brands owned by Global Spirits.
The attack comes just weeks after a Russian missile strike in July destroyed Global Spirits' main warehouse in Kyiv Oblast. The company estimated losses from that attack at more than 100 million hryvnias ($2.2 million).
The Khortytsa plant is among numerous Ukrainian commercial and logistics facilities hit by Russian attacks since August 27. The affected businesses include Nova Poshta sorting facilities, Epicentr shopping centers and warehouses used by retailers and Ukrainian publishers.