Cheese loss: Russian drones destroyed the headquarters of the all-Ukrainian network Cheese Kingdom
24 June 2025 17:50
On the night of June 23, during Russia’s massive attack on Kyiv, kamikaze drones completely destroyed the headquarters of the all-Ukrainian chain of stores “Cheese Kingdom,” "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The company reported that no one was in the building at the time of the attack, so there were no casualties. However, the building burned to the ground, destroying servers, documentation, and other critical business resources.
“Our office was completely destroyed. All servers with databases and documents were burned. This has complicated our work – some processes have to be done manually. But our 48 stores in 24 cities continue to operate. The team is doing everything to ensure that customers do not feel these difficulties,” said Cheese Kingdom.
Despite the losses, the company assured that recovery has already begun and all stores remain open. Cheese Kingdom also called on Ukrainians to support the business in this difficult time.
The chain has been operating since 2013. Its stores are located in dozens of Ukrainian cities, some of them are franchise partners.
Russia launched a combined strike: 352 Shahed attack drones and 16 missiles (11 ballistic missiles of the Iskander-M/KN-23 type and 5 cruise missiles of the Iskander-K type).
Kyiv was the main target: the attack was extremely powerful, with explosions in six districts and debris falling in more than 25 locations.
Consequences – deaths, injuries, destruction
In the northwest of Kyiv (Shevchenkivskyi district), 9-10 deaths were recorded, including at least one child (11 years old).
30-34 people were injured, including 4-5 children.
There is heavy destruction throughout the city:
- the strike on residential buildings and explosions caused the destruction of entrances, glass was broken in many apartments.
- historic buildings and university infrastructure, such as the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, dormitories, and a sports complex, were damaged.
- the entrance to the Svyatoshyn metro station was damaged, but the station remained open as a shelter
Response of the Armed Forces and the authorities
The air defense destroyed or suppressed 354 of the 368 threats – 146 drones were shot down by fire, another 193 were blocked by electronic warfare; 7 ballistic and 5 cruise missiles were also neutralized.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced that the search and rescue operation in the Shevchenkivskyi district was completed; as of the morning, the final casualty figures are expected.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs also warned of possible people trapped under the rubble; rescue operations are underway.
Context and international response
The attack took place on the eve of the NATO summit in The Hague and after President Zelenskyy’s trip to Britain, where he called for stronger sanctions against Russia.
Zelenskyy characterized the attack as “cynical,” confirmed the use of Iranian drones and North Korean missiles, and compared Russia to a “coalition of killers.”
The EU and the UK condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure and emphasized the need to strengthen Ukraine’s defense.
The massive missile and drone attack on the night of June 23 was one of the most powerful in recent times: dozens of people were killed, homes, subways, and universities were destroyed. While Ukrainian air defense successfully defeated the vast majority of the threats, the attack once again underscored a deliberate strategy of intimidation against civilians. The civilian casualties, including children, underscore the tragedy, and the international response underscores the need to strengthen defenses alongside Kyiv.
