Government offers retail chains state-owned warehouses and seeks premises abroad

Ukrainian authorities have offered retail chains a list of state-owned and municipal premises that can be used for new warehouses after Russian attacks on logistics infrastructure. At the same time, the government is seeking warehouse facilities outside Ukraine but near the border for businesses.

Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Taras Vysotskyi said this in an interview with RBC-Ukraine, reports journalist Dmytro Sydorov.

According to him, Russian troops regularly damage and destroy logistics and warehouse centers of retail chains. Therefore, the authorities together with businesses are looking for opportunities not only to restore lost capacity but also to reduce risks of concentrating large stocks in one place.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy has collected information from the State Property Fund and regional military administrations about state-owned and municipal facilities that could potentially be converted into warehouses. The list has already been shared with representatives of retail chains in a closed regime.

Retailers will be able to assess the proposed facilities and, if suitable for logistics needs, rent or purchase them. According to Vysotskyi, one option is the rapid relocation of warehouse capacity or its restoration based on existing state and municipal real estate.

In parallel, the government is considering the possibility of storing some products outside Ukraine. This involves warehouses near the border, from where goods could be quickly delivered to Ukrainian stores if necessary.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy has already collected information from businesses about the required types of warehouse premises. Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the agency is also working on establishing direct contacts between Ukrainian companies and warehouse owners in other countries. Ukrainian embassies have been tasked with exploring available options and helping with such contacts.

Separately, the government is analyzing whether moving warehouse capacity would require changes to Ukrainian legislation or EU and Moldovan rules. This initiative is currently being worked on.

The search for new warehouses is taking place against the backdrop of restructuring of Ukrainian's entire food logistics. Due to the threat of strikes, companies are trying to reduce dependence on large centralized warehouses and move to a more dispersed supply model — directly from manufacturer to stores or through smaller regional hubs.