Ukrainian Wine Company UK shipment robbed

By Hamish Graham

Published: 16 October, 2025

A lorry that had travelled from Ukraine transporting 12 pallets of wine on behalf of Ukrainian Wine Company UK was robbed 1am Monday (13/10) at a CCTV-monitored parking area as the shipment awaited transport on its way from Dover to London. The wineries affected include Kolononist, Grande Vallee and Chateau Chizay.

The thieves stole five pallets worth of wine. As Sera Karamshuk, brand ambassador for Ukrainian Wine Company UK, explained to Harpers, the robbers specifically targeted the sparkling wine from the shipment, though some still wines were taken too.

Karamshuk, added: “They were definitely checking what they were taking before stealing it. They knew what they were doing and knew that they had time to do it.”

Read more: Bonhams bolsters global wine team following period of growth

Although there is CCTV footage of the theft, the Metropolitan Police have already told Ukrainian Wine Company UK that they will not be proceeding with the case due to insufficient evidence and leads regarding the crime. The police did not visit the site of the incident.

Karamshuk described the outpouring of support they had received since the incident: “We have had an incredible response and many people are supporting us which means a lot.”

In a statement, CEO of Ukrainian Wine Company UK, Svitlana Tsybak, detailed her disbelief at the robbery.

She said: “Saying I’m shocked is an understatement. I’ve been in this industry since 2008, always in import and export, doing everything myself – logistics, customs, etc. This is the first time I’ve ever faced something like this. And where? In the UK. I still can’t believe it.

“We know too well how much effort it takes to make and move Ukrainian wines – how hard and sometimes dangerous it is to produce them in Ukraine, and how much support our winemakers need right now.

“The biggest disappointment isn’t even the money we lost, but the wasted effort, ours and our producers.”

To learn more about the Ukrainian Wine Company UK you can do so here. To read the importer’s Instagram post about the incident, click here.

Printer friendly version