Overview
- Kernel, which suspended operations on Thursday, Nov. 12, has halted processing at all eight of its oil extraction plants and stopped sunflower-seed purchases for safety reasons.
- Other processors have followed: Alef's Potoky plant in Dnipro paused seed purchases and processing from Nov. 13, citing power outages, security concerns and repair work after earlier attacks.
- Kernel and industry groups say recent missile and drone strikes damaged production buildings, equipment and storage tanks and that oil extraction's continuous, high-fire-risk process made shutdowns necessary; Kernel says all employees are safe.
- Ukraine's Air Force reported a large strike campaign that included ballistic, cruise and many long-range attack drones across several oblasts, and HUR and industry bodies accuse Russia of deliberately targeting the food-processing sector.
- Kernel was a top global sunflower oil producer before the war, and while the company says it will ship existing stocks and meet commitments, a prolonged suspension could squeeze farm incomes, cut processing throughput and tighten global sunflower oil supplies.