A Russian drone attack on an India-linked pharmaceutical plant in Ukraine's Sumy region has killed one person and injured several others, with the facility's main structure largely destroyed, NDTV reported.
The main structure of the pharmaceutical plant in Sumy has been mostly destroyed in the attack. Officials said the number of casualties and injured could change as the situation develops.
Visuals from the site showed a huge plume of smoke rising from the area where the drones struck.
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The Kusum Group began its operations in 1994 as a distributor, exporting Indian medicines to Ukraine. The group is currently run by Indian national Rajeev Gupta.
In 2002, Kusum stopped distributing products made by other companies and began marketing its own brands. It later moved into manufacturing, opening a plant in India in 2007 and another facility in Ukraine's Sumy in 2009.
Two more manufacturing facilities were then opened in India.
The group manufactures more than 50 mostly generic products and sells them in over nine countries, with Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the Philippines among its key markets.
Kusum Plant Operated Through Russia-Ukraine War
The Sumy plant was operational during the Russia-Ukraine war. But the latest attack has hit the facility badly, with the loss being estimated at least Rs 400 crore.
The Kusum Group, a Ukrainian company with Indian roots, describes itself as:
The attack comes as Russian drones continue to strike across Ukraine. Since the summer, Russia has been firing dozens of fast, relatively cheap jet-powered Shahed drones into Ukraine every day.
Ukrainian air defence systems have struggled to shoot down the drones, some of which are too slow to intercept.
The Sumy region, which lies close to the Russian border, has also faced repeated attacks in recent weeks. Ukrainian authorities have reported strikes involving drones, guided bombs and other weapons in the region.
Ukraine Uses Domestic Ballistic Missile
Ukraine also announced the first combat use this week of its domestically made ballistic missile, the FP-7.
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The missile has a range of approximately 250 km. The development comes as Ukraine continues to expand its domestic weapons capabilities amid the ongoing war.
The latest attack on the Kusum plant highlights the growing risks faced by civilian and industrial infrastructure in Ukraine as the conflict continues.
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