Russian Drones Kill One at Indian Pharma Plant in Ukraine’s Sumy
Six Russian drones struck an Indian-owned pharmaceutical plant in Ukraine’s Sumy region on Sunday, killing one engineer and causing damage projected to exceed $50 million. The Kusum Group plant in Sumy was operational at the time of the strike; the engineering department was hit, one engineer died, and other workers were evacuated. [1] The main structure of the 50,000-square-metre facility was largely destroyed and is expected to remain out of operation for one to two years. [1]
Drone Strike on Sumy Pharma Plant
Six Russian drones struck the Indian pharma plant in Ukraine’s Sumy on Sunday. [1] Smoke emerged from the facility after the impact. The plant was operational when the strikes took place. The engineering department was hit and one engineer was killed, while other workers were evacuated. [1] The main structure of the facility was largely destroyed. The Sumy facility covers around 50,000 sq metres and has five blocks. [1]
Company Describes Attack as Targeted
Kusum Group cofounder Sanjeev Gupta described the strike as a targeted attack and said Russian forces have hit pharmaceutical and food facilities across Ukraine in the past month. [1] Speaking to TOI, Gupta said the attack was not an isolated incident. “Six drones hit the factory. So, it is a targeted attack. It’s not by chance. Actually, for the last one month, they are attacking all pharma and food items also,” Gupta said. [1] Gupta said the extent of damage could keep the plant out of operation for at least one to two years. “We are not able to evaluate the losses right now. We will come to know more tomorrow. But as per my understanding, we will not run this plant in the near future,” he added. [1]
Scale of Damage and Operational Impact
In a statement issued later Sunday, Kusum Healthcare Pvt Ltd said total damage from the attack was projected to breach the $50 million mark. [1] The company said its India business and management were reviewing the situation as the extent of the destruction emerged. This is the second major strike on Kusum’s Ukrainian operations; its warehouse was destroyed by a Russian drone on 14 April 2025 with losses exceeding UAH 1 billion. [1] Gupta said the group plans to continue its business in Ukraine despite the latest setback. [1]
Kusum’s Operations in Ukraine
Kusum is the largest Indian pharmaceutical company in Ukraine with more than 3% market share and has manufactured medicines there since 2009; the group intends to continue operating in the country. [1] It has been manufacturing medicines in Ukraine since 2009, including products for segments such as cardiology and gastroenterology. [1] Gupta said Kusum is the biggest Indian pharmaceutical company operating in Ukraine, with a market share of more than 3%. [1] Despite the latest setback, Gupta said the group plans to continue its business in Ukraine. [1]
Broader Context of Russian Drone Campaign
Russian drone attacks have intensified on Kyiv and other civilian infrastructure. [3] Ukraine and Germany have signed a US$1.5-billion deal to help fight the surge in Russian drone attacks, while fresh strikes and air raid sirens greeted Chancellor Friedrich Merz on a solidarity visit Sunday. [3] The agreement worth more than 1.3 billion euros includes some 1 billion euros for weapons including combat drones, while 350 million euros goes towards supporting Ukraine's battered energy sector. [4] As the two met, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Washington had proposed fresh talks with both Ukraine and Russia by the end of the month. [3] Air raid sirens wailed repeatedly, including as Zelenskyy showed Merz the damage to the National Academy of Sciences, which was hit by a Russian attack drone on Monday, killing two. [4] One blast that was heard across the city damaged the road surface of the Northern Bridge. [3] Round-the-clock attacks have hit residential areas, petrol stations, schools, rail and communications infrastructure, while the near-constant air raid sirens disrupt daily life. [4]
What to watch next: Ukraine has repeatedly called for advanced interceptors to shoot down Russia's new fast-moving, jet-powered drones, and the latest deal provides for the joint production of anti-jet drones as production is now being ramped up. [3]
