Indian-run Kusum pharma plant in Ukraine destroyed in Russian drone attacks, 1 killed: Report

An Indian-owned Kusum Group pharmaceutical plant in Ukraine’s Sumy region was heavily damaged in a Russian drone strike that killed one person and injured several others.

A pharmaceutical plant in Ukraine’s Sumy region, owned by India’s Kusum Group, was targeted in a Russian drone strike, leaving one person dead and several others injured, NDTV reported.

The attack caused extensive damage to the main structure of the facility, which was reported to be largely destroyed. Officials said the number of casualties and injured could change as the assessment of the incident continues. 

Visuals from the scene showed a massive plume of smoke rising from the area where the drones struck.

The Kusum Group was established in 1994 as a distributor exporting Indian medicines to Ukraine. The group is currently headed by Indian national Rajeev Gupta.

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In 2002, the group ended its distribution of products made by other companies and shifted its focus to marketing its own brands. It later entered the manufacturing sector, setting up its first plant in India in 2007 and another facility in Ukraine’s Sumy in 2009, followed by two additional manufacturing units in India.  

The group manufactures more than 50 products, most of which are generic medicines, and exports them to over nine countries, with Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the Philippines among its key markets.  

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the “Russian attack” in a post on X and expressed his condolences to the family and loved ones of the person killed in the strike.

"This morning, the Russians once again struck the Pivnichnyi Bridge in Kyiv with a drone. They attacked an ordinary pharmaceutical warehouse in Sumy with drones. Tragically, one person was killed. My condolences to the family and loved ones. In Dnipro, they struck a communications facility. Six people were injured as a result of these attacks," he said.

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The Sumy facility remained operational throughout the Russia-Ukraine war but has now suffered severe damage. The financial loss is estimated to be at least Rs 400 crore. The Kusum Group describes itself as a Ukrainian company with Indian roots.

Since the summer, Russia has been carrying out daily attacks on Ukraine using dozens of fast, relatively low-cost, jet-powered Shahed drones. Ukrainian air defence units have faced difficulties intercepting them, as their interceptor drones have been unable to match their speed.

Ukraine also announced this week that it had used its domestically developed FP-7 ballistic missile in combat for the first time. The missile has an estimated range of around 250 km.

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