Nestlé to Lift Ukraine Investment to 10 Billion Hryvnia in 2026 as Sales Outpace Market

Investment set to reach 10 billion hryvnia

Nestlé plans to raise its investment in Ukraine to roughly 10 billion hryvnia by the end of 2026, according to Delo.ua, citing Roman Yanovych, chief executive of Nestlé in Ukraine and Moldova. In the first half of the year the company invested 5 billion hryvnia, of which 200 million hryvnia went to factory development and 4.8 billion hryvnia to expanding product categories. Investment directly into factories is expected to reach 1 billion hryvnia for the full year, meaning most of the planned spend is going into brands and categories rather than capacity.

The commitment comes as the company reports strong commercial momentum. Nestlé said its Ukrainian sales rose 19.3% in value and 10% in volume in the first half of 2026. Over the same period the Ukrainian FMCG market in the categories where the company operates grew 15% in value and 6% in volume, meaning Nestlé outpaced the broader market. Group sales worldwide rose 3.6% in the first half, Yanovych said, leaving the Ukrainian unit well ahead of the global average.

Sales mix and market share

Nestlé sold 56 thousand tonnes of products in Ukraine over the six months. Capsule coffee was the fastest-growing segment, with sales up 30% in value and 16% in volume. The company said it holds about half of the Ukrainian ketchup market through its Torchin brand and about half of the cocoa market through Nesquik, plus roughly a third of the sauces market with Torchin.

The culinary range, currently more than 100 items, is set to expand by about 20% this year. The Asian line is growing fastest at 20-25%, while cup vermicelli is posting triple-digit growth, according to the company.

Operational pressures

Yanovych named logistics among the main operational challenges. After Russian strikes on warehouses, Nestlé prepared a backup delivery scheme that ships goods directly to supermarket chains, bypassing their distribution centres. Labour shortages are a second constraint: at one plant the company raised wages by 30% to retain staff. Nestlé considered bringing in foreign workers but is for now trying to meet its needs with Ukrainian employees.

Wartime expansion

Nestlé has operated in Ukraine since 1994, with a presence in coffee and beverages, confectionery, culinary products, baby and special nutrition, breakfast cereals and pet food. During the war it invested 43 million euro in a factory in Smolyhiv, in the Volyn region. The vermicelli plant opened in April 2025, and the company plans to raise the investment to 70 million euro by the end of 2027.