- More Than 8 Million Books Lost in Kharkiv Warehouse Fire
KYIV: More than 2,000 Japanese children’s picture books translated into Ukrainian were destroyed after a Russian drone strike set fire to a major publishing warehouse in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian publisher Ranok Publishing House announced on Friday.
The destroyed books were part of a humanitarian initiative to provide Ukrainian children with educational and literary materials following Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Overall, approximately 8 million books were lost in the attack, which devastated one of the country’s largest publishing storage facilities.
Japanese Humanitarian Book Project Suffers Heavy Losses
Among the destroyed titles was “My First Mountain” (Hajimete no Yamanobori), a memoir by Japan’s former Empress Michiko recounting her first mountain-climbing experience with her family.
The translated editions had been printed through donations from Japanese companies as part of a collaborative project involving Japanese publisher Shiko-sha, the nonprofit Ukraine House Japan, and the governments of Japan and Ukraine.
The initiative aimed to donate 5,000 copies of five Japanese picture books to Ukrainian schools and hospitals to support children affected by the war.
Majority of Distributed Books Remain Safe
Ranok Publishing House said more than half of the planned 5,000 donated books had already been distributed or were safely stored in a separate warehouse that was not targeted in the attack.
Company officials said they will assess the extent of the losses before deciding whether to reprint the destroyed editions.
Drone Attack Sparks Massive Warehouse Fire
According to Ranok, two Russian kamikaze drones struck its warehouse in Kharkiv on Saturday, triggering a massive blaze that engulfed more than 10,000 square metres of storage space.
The fire destroyed millions of books, including children’s literature, educational textbooks, and the donated Japanese picture books.
Publishing Industry Faces Continued Wartime Destruction
Ukraine’s publishing sector has suffered repeated attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
According to Ukrainian media estimates, at least 35 publishing houses across the country have sustained damage during the conflict, significantly affecting the country’s educational and cultural resources.
Publisher Vows to Continue Despite Losses
Despite the devastating destruction, Ranok pledged to continue its publishing mission.
“We cannot let Russia decide what kinds of books Ukrainians read,” a Ranok official said, reaffirming the company’s commitment to providing books and educational materials to Ukrainian readers despite the ongoing war.
BY: The Times Union – KYODO
