Prices for bottled water in Kyiv have risen by approximately 30% since the start of the full-scale war, according to a market operator.
5 March 20:06
The cost of bottled water in Kyiv has risen by approximately 30% since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The main reasons for the price increase were rising fuel prices, labor shortages, and manufacturers’ expenses for generators during power outages. This was reported in a comment by
According to him, logistics was the key factor in the price increase.
“In Kyiv, I think water has probably gone up by 30%. The main thing is that fuel has become much more expensive. Plus, there are far fewer workers. For example, about seven of my drivers have been mobilized,” Pogrebny said.
Water producers also incurred additional costs. During mass power outages, factories were forced to buy generators, and water production on backup power is significantly more expensive.
Despite the war, the number of offers on the market has not changed significantly. According to the entrepreneur, after a sharp drop in demand at the beginning of the invasion, the market gradually recovered.
“At first, there was a deep slump — people were confused, offices were closed. But then people started returning to work, many displaced persons arrived in Kyiv, and new warehouses began to open. Slowly, everything returned to normal,” he said.
According to Pogrebny’s estimates, approximately 1.5 million large 19-liter bottles of water are currently consumed in the capital per month — roughly at the pre-war demand level. At the same time, Ukraine does not actually import bottled water, as it is economically unfeasible due to high logistics costs.
“We don’t even sell water as much as we sell logistics. For example, if I’m in Darnytsia, it’s very unprofitable to transport water to Sofiivska Borshchahivka. The route has to be planned so that the driver stops every 5–10 minutes to unload. The main margin is delivery. The bottle of water itself costs about 50 hryvnia,” the entrepreneur explained.
Regarding the price forecast for the end of the year, Pogrebny believes that there will be no sharp increase in the price of bottled water, but this is provided that fuel prices do not rise. At the same time, one of the main problems for the business remains the shortage of personnel.
“Fortunately, guys are now starting to return from the war. They are slowly coming back to work. But it is still difficult to find employees — either young people under 25 come, or those who have already fought,” he said.
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