Strikes Destroy 12M Books Across Ukraine

Russian strikes on Ukrainian printing facilities and publishing houses have destroyed roughly 12 million books and textbooks, the BBC reported. According to local media, this represents approximately one-third of all book production printed domestically this year.

A missile strike on a printing facility near Kyiv obliterated 1.3 million school textbooks, accounting for nearly 10% of the nationwide print run prepared for the new academic year. Over recent weeks, more than 35 publishers, warehouses, and logistics hubs have sustained damage, alongside Kyiv’s "Pochaina" secondhand book market, where hundreds of retail stalls and rare volumes were ruined.

Industry figures warn that Ukrainian publishing faces critical challenges and requires urgent international assistance. "The written word is everything. It is our development, our culture, and our heritage passed down through generations," said Viktoriya Khayday, head of the Konvi publishing house.