One killed as Russian drones strike Indian pharma plant in Ukraine
A pharmaceutical plant operated by Indian entrepreneur Rajeev Gupta's Kusum Group in Ukraine's Sumy region was severely damaged in a Russian drone attack on Sunday, killing one person and injuring several others. The main structure of the facility was largely destroyed in the strike, with preliminary estimates putting losses at approximately ₹400 crore. Visuals from the site showed thick smoke rising from the facility after the attack, and officials cautioned that casualty figures could change as rescue and assessment operations continued.
The Kusum Group plant manufactures more than 50 pharmaceutical products, mostly generic medicines, and sells them across more than nine countries including Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines. The company began operations in 1994 by distributing Indian medicines in Ukraine before launching its own brands, entering manufacturing in India in 2007 and establishing the Sumy facility in 2009. The plant had continued operations throughout the Russia-Ukraine war prior to Sunday's attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian drones had struck the pharmaceutical facility in Sumy, which produces critically needed medicines. He noted that other Russian drone attacks on the same day also targeted the Pivnichnyi Bridge in Kyiv and a communications facility in Dnipro.
