Malls Set a New Low Due to Concerns
In September 2026, shopping centers in Ukraine were forced to suspend operations for an average of 30.8% of their operating hours due to air raid alerts. This is a new record low: in August, the figure was 22%, and a year ago, it was 14.1%. Shopping centers in the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy, Chernihiv, and Kharkiv regions lost the most time due to air raid alerts.
In September, all key indicators tracked by the organization increased. This refers not only to the number of air raid alerts but also to how many of them occurred during the operating hours of shopping centers. The total duration of the alerts also increased, as did the time during which shopping centers were forced to suspend operations.
For shopping centers, business hours are defined as the period from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. It was during this time in September that air raid alerts took up a significant portion of business operating hours.
Where Shopping Centers Lost the Most Operating Time
The highest rate was recorded in the Donetsk region. There, the proportion of alarms during shopping centers’ operating hours reached 92.2%. The top five regions with the highest rates also included:
- Zaporizhzhia Oblast — 76.1%;
- Sumy Oblast — 73.4%;
- Chernihiv Oblast — 69.1%;
- Kharkiv Oblast — 58%.
In this group of five, the proportion of alarms during shopping center operating hours increased by an average of approximately 7%. At the same time, a noticeable increase was also recorded in regions that previously had significantly lower figures. In particular, in the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Zhytomyr regions, the proportion of alarms during business hours increased severalfold and also reached a high level.
In Kyiv, the figure nearly tripled
The Ukrainian Retail Trade Center (URTC) drew particular attention to the situation in the capital. In August 2026, the proportion of air raid alerts during operating hours at Kyiv’s shopping centers stood at 11.6%. In September, this figure rose to 32.7%.
In other words, over the course of a month, the proportion of business hours during which air raid alerts occurred nearly tripled. This is particularly significant for Kyiv, as the capital is home to a large number of shopping centers, and their tenants include major Ukrainian and international retail chains.
As a result, the security alerts affect not only the operation of the shopping centers themselves but also the stores, restaurants, and other businesses located within them.
What Has Changed Since September
Starting September 8, Ukraine began categorizing air raid alerts by threat level. They were divided into yellow and red alerts. According to the Ukrainian Retail Trade Center (URTC), in September, yellow-level alerts accounted for 60.9% of the total duration, while red-level alerts accounted for 39.1%. During a yellow alert, shopping centers may continue to operate under certain conditions. This should reduce the impact of air raid alerts on businesses.
However, in practice, the situation is more complicated. Large international retail chains generally close their stores regardless of the alert level declared. Therefore, even yellow alerts continue to affect the operations of shopping centers and their tenants.
How Many Shopping Centers Were Closed Due to Air Raid Alerts
The Ukrainian Retail Trade Association (URTC) also calculated how much working time shopping centers have lost overall due to air raid alerts since the start of the full-scale invasion. On average across Ukraine, shopping centers were forced to remain closed for 176.5 working days. In September 2026 alone, this figure stood at 9.6 working days.
Thus, air raid alerts remain not a one-time problem for the retail sector but a constant factor that directly affects business operating hours. The new September figure of 30.8% was the highest for the entire observation period. By comparison, in September of last year, the share of air raid alerts during shopping centers’ operating hours was 14.1%, and in August of this year, it was 22%. In other words, the figure has more than doubled over the past year and increased by nearly nine percentage points in just one month. This information was reported by the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers (URTC).
