In a powerful display of resilience, Ukraine's largest spirits export brand, Nemiroff vodka, is pushing to grow its international business despite the ongoing realities of war, including direct missile strikes on its shipments. The company's chief executive has told of maintaining supplies to major British supermarkets while navigating production and logistical nightmares.
Business as Usual Amidst Missile Strikes
Yuriy Sorochynskiy, CEO of Nemiroff, described the stark challenges of operating during Russia's full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022. He revealed that late last year, a shipping container holding 17,000 bottles of the spirit was destroyed by bombing at the port of Odesa. Another supplier's shipment was also recently hit.
"We had one or two containers destroyed in port by missile attacks," Sorochynskiy stated, adding with grim resolve, "This is now business as usual." The company has been forced to completely reroute its export logistics, moving away from sea containers through the now-blocked Black Sea to predominantly truck-based shipments—a transition that took four months to establish.
Rapid Growth in Western Markets
Despite these profound difficulties, Nemiroff has seen significant growth, particularly in Western markets like the UK. This surge has been partly fuelled by the widespread removal of Russian vodkas from European supermarket shelves in solidarity with Ukraine. In the UK alone, sales jumped by 24% last year to £6.25m, making it one of the fastest-growing premium vodka brands in the country.
The brand is now listed in major UK chains including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, and the Co-op, and returned to the duty-free market at Heathrow and Gatwick airports in October. Its marketing push has included sponsorships of heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk and partnerships with Premier League football clubs Aston Villa, Fulham, West Ham, and Everton.
Adapting Production and Supporting the Economy
Keeping the distillery and bottling plants running in Nemyriv, Vinnytsia oblast, has required drastic adaptation. The company purchased a gas generator to maintain operations during attacks on Ukraine's power infrastructure. It also provided space to rehouse its Italian bottle-top supplier, whose subsidiary in Sumy was hit by a direct missile strike in August last year.
In a show of solidarity, Nemiroff has even provided bottling facilities for some competitors, aiming to support the broader Ukrainian business ecosystem. "There are a huge number of examples of competitors helping each other out in order to survive," Sorochynskiy noted.
The company's global sales have partially recovered from a steep decline following its immediate exit from the Russian and Belarusian markets after the invasion. Sales fell from about 10 million cases globally in 2010 to 2.4 million in 2022 but have since rebounded to 4.4 million cases this year. Over 40% of its sales are now in the West.
Looking ahead, the Ukrainian government and the EU are building new railway infrastructure with European standard gauge tracks to facilitate alternative export routes. New lines to Hungary and Slovakia opened in September, with a connection to Poland expected by 2027, offering a lifeline for exporters like Nemiroff determined to keep the Ukrainian economy fighting.
