Zircon from Crimea destroyed a family-run business owned by displaced persons from Kerch

A Russian "Zircon" missile destroyed the family business of a family of displaced persons from Crimea in Kyiv—a warehouse containing 5,000 bottles of "Ruta" craft balm.

This was reported by Krym.Realii.

On June 2, Russia launched a“Zircon” missile from annexed Crimea. Analysts estimate the missile’s cost at $5 million.

The strike destroyed a warehouse containing 5,000 bottles of “Ruta” balm—according to the Levchenko family, this was “their life’s work.”

“At cost, that’s 1.5 million hryvnias; at retail, if customers had ordered it, it would have been 3 million hryvnias,” says Oleg Levchenko, co-founder of the brand.

<picture></picture>Warehouses containing the artisanal balm that burned down as a result of the strike by a Russian “Zircon” missile / Photo: Krym.Realii

“Ruta” is a family project by the Levchenkos, created without investors or loans. Oksana developed a passion for herbs as a child in Crimea and became a professional herbalist, while Oleg is a winemaker whose wines have won awards at international competitions.

Thanks to the family’s experiments and 96 herbal tinctures, they developed a balm that the family presented at the “Crimean Platform” summit and events related to the de-occupation of Crimea.

Due to the occupation of Crimea and their support for Ukraine, the Levchenko family lost contact with many of their relatives. In 2015, during a trip to Kerch, they were pursued for no reason by the so-called “self-defense forces” of Crimea—they managed to escape only because they had a more powerful car.

Later, the Kerch residents moved to Kyiv, joined the Crimean community, and began helping to raise funds for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Immediately after the attack, the couple decided to look for new jobs—Oksana is a pharmacist by training, and Oleg previously worked as a marketer. However, the support of Ukrainians and donations made them change their minds.

Now the Levchenkos intend to revive their business by changing the brand name and adding the word “phoenix” to it.

"Zircon" is a Russian 3M22 hypersonic cruise missile designed to strike sea and land targets. It is considered one of the most advanced missiles in the Russian arsenal.

What is known about it:

• it reaches speeds of up to 8–9 Mach (over 9,000 km/h);
• has a range, according to various estimates, of up to 1,000 km;
• it is launched from ships, submarines, and shore-based missile systems;
• its warhead weighs about 300–400 kg;
• due to its high speed and maneuverability, it is more difficult to intercept with modern air defense systems.

During the full-scale war, Russia has repeatedly used “Zircons” to strike Ukraine. In particular, the missiles were launched from the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea.

Ірина Глухова