Cafes opening in Kharkiv, but most large Ukrainian businesses remain shuttered

Despite Russian missiles hitting Kharkiv on nearly a daily basis, 5 of the 18 branches of Bricks Coffee and Desserts in the city have reopened. The head of the coffee shop chain says sales are still far below pre-war levels. (Jason Beaubien/NPR)

KHARKIV, Ukraine – In the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, Yaroslav Radchenko is slowly reopening a chain of coffee shops he owns called Bricks Coffee and Desserts. Like just about everybody else here, Radchenko shut down when the Russians invaded in February. He fled to the relative safety of Dnipro, southwest of Kharkiv.

Now he's back, and five of his 18 Kharkiv cafes are serving espresso again. But Radchenko says he faces numerous challenges, including staff shortages.