“If People Are in a Bunker, Business Stops”: Missile Alerts Cost Ukraine $45 Million an Hour

Ukraine is losing an estimated $45 million for every hour that missile alerts force businesses to suspend operations, as intensified Russian aerial attacks increasingly disrupt economic activity across the country, The Guardian reported on September 30.

Ukraine’s Economy and Environment Minister Oleksandr Kravchenko said Russian forces have increasingly targeted infrastructure critical to the economy, including industrial facilities, warehouses, logistics hubs, and data centers.

According to Kravchenko, the expanding use of jet-powered drones has added to the pressure on businesses, with Russian forces deploying the weapons against a growing range of targets.

“What we had not fully anticipated was how quickly Russia would develop these jet-powered drones and use them to target everything,” Kravchenko told The Guardian.

The attacks have repeatedly brought economic activity to a halt as employees are required to move to shelters during air raid alerts, which can last for up to 10 hours a day.

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“If people are in a bunker, business stops,” Kravchenko said.

In an effort to limit the economic impact of prolonged alerts, the Ukrainian government recently introduced a two-tier warning system intended to allow businesses to continue operating when the threat level permits.

Under the system, a “red” alert signals a missile threat and requires people to seek shelter, while a “yellow” warning indicates a drone threat and allows many businesses to remain open.

According to the outlet, Kravchenko said more than half of businesses continue operating during yellow alerts, allowing economic activity to continue despite the ongoing threat of Russian aerial attacks.

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The economic disruption comes as Russia continues to target Ukraine’s commercial and logistics infrastructure. Russian attacks have damaged around 500,000 square meters of warehouse space, while Ukraine could lose more than $2 billion in export revenue in the second half of 2026.

The ministry said Russian forces carried out more than 25 strikes on warehouse facilities during the first half of the year alone. Russia has also targeted Ukraine’s broader logistics network, launching more than 1,000 attacks on railway infrastructure and repeatedly striking ports in the Greater Odesa area.

Overall, Russia launched 3,177 jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles against Ukraine in September, up from 2,850 recorded in August.

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