Ukraine's businesses struggle to cope as Russian attacks bring power cuts and uncertainty

Описание: (8 Feb 2026)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine - 30 January 2026
1. Wide of Oleksandr Kutsenko, bakery worker, going out to start electricity generator due to power outage
2. Close of Kutsenkothe switching on electricity generator
3. Wide of lights turning on at Spelta bakery-bistro with electricity generator outside building
4. Close of dough mixer
5. Olha Hrynchuk, co-founder and head of Spelta bakery-bistro, preparing oven for baking
6. Close of bread being prepared
7. Bread being moved into oven
8. Close of bread in the oven
9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Olha Hrynchuk, co-founder and head of Spelta bakery-bistro:
“We primarily create a really great product for our guests, for Ukrainians, and at the same time, we provide a large number of jobs. In my view, our mission is to make an authentic, high-quality artisanal product in the current conditions and show Ukrainians just how good it can truly be.”
10. Various of Hrynchuk taking baked bread out of oven and putting it on shelf
11. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Olha Hrynchuk, co-founder and head of Spelta bakery-bistro:
“We’ve been working with a generator since pretty much our very first day — I think since 2022. Of course, there were periods when we didn’t need it. That was in the summer, when there weren’t heavy attacks. Overall, we’ve been relying on it. I understand that imagining a Ukrainian business today without a generator is more than unrealistic — it’s simply impossible.”
12. Wide of worker kneading dough
13. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Olha Nasonova, head of the Restaurants of Ukraine analytical center:
“The most vulnerable have been small cafés and family-run establishments, because those kinds of businesses have fewer resources, especially financial ones. For example, if an entire month is loss-making, there are times when there is simply nothing to cover those losses. There are also staffing problems and supply issues. For a small family-run place, all of these challenges are multiplied because there are no reserves to offset the losses over a certain period of time.”
14. Wide of Yana Bilym, co-founder of the Best Way to Cup coffee shop, entering cafe
15. Bilym checking coffee machine
16. Close of coffee cups
17. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Yana Bilym, co-founder of the Best Way to Cup coffee shop:
“We were forced to decide to stop operating. We believe this is temporary. At first, the estimated timeframe was about a week. By now, it has already lasted 11 days. Still, we are being told that the water supply may be restored in the coming days."
18. Various of empty coffee shop
19. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Yana Bilym, co-founder of the Best Way to Cup coffee shop:
“Unfortunately, the business will operate at a loss in December and January. We’re trying to cover these losses with income from our other sources — essentially our other café and our production side.”
20. Various of workers sewing clothes at Rito company
21. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Tetiana Abramova, founder of knitwear company Rito:
“We’re staying in Ukraine, and it’s a place of strength for many of us. For example, we’re now preparing for our major retro show next month, and this gives us strength. When you create a great product, you fall in love with it, and you want everyone who sees it to fall in love with it too. Then, despite everything, we delivered a fantastic show and kept going. And at work, we have heat, we have water, we have light — and we have each other. All of this gives us strength and the confidence that spring is coming soon. So everything will be okay.”
22. Various of workers sewing clothes
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