Ukraine Accuses Russia of Targeting Indian Business in Kyiv Drone Attack

In a troubling escalation of the ongoing war in Ukraine, a warehouse belonging to an Indian pharmaceutical company was destroyed in a recent Russian attack on Kyiv, drawing strong condemnation from Ukraine’s diplomatic mission in India.

The Ukrainian embassy accused Russia of deliberately targeting Indian businesses, despite professing “special friendship” with New Delhi.

The incident involved the warehouse of Kusum Healthcare, a prominent Indian pharmaceutical firm owned by businessman Rajiv Gupta. Kusum is one of the largest drug manufacturers operating in Ukraine, providing essential medicines widely used by children, the elderly, and the broader population.

“While claiming ‘special friendship’ with India, Moscow deliberately targets Indian businesses—destroying medicines meant for children and the elderly,” the Ukrainian embassy in India said in a strongly worded statement on Saturday.

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Contrary to initial reports that cited a missile strike, both Ukrainian and British officials later clarified that the destruction was caused by Russian drones. Britain’s Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, also condemned the attack, noting it had “completely destroyed a major pharmaceuticals warehouse in Kyiv.”

Posting an image on X (formerly Twitter), Harris showed a smoke-filled skyline with emergency responders at the scene, calling it a part of Russia’s “campaign of terror against Ukrainian civilians.”

Sources familiar with the matter told NDTV that the Kusum warehouse was a critical node in Ukraine’s pharmaceutical supply chain, playing a major role in ensuring the availability of everyday medicines during wartime shortages. The destruction of such a facility, they noted, has both humanitarian and economic repercussions.

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This attack has raised fresh concerns about the safety of foreign-owned businesses in Ukraine, especially those from countries that have maintained a neutral diplomatic stance throughout the conflict, like India.

India has consistently called for peace and an end to hostilities in the Russia-Ukraine war, without explicitly siding with either country. Since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022, New Delhi has maintained economic ties with Moscow, significantly increasing its imports of discounted Russian oil—a move that has drawn quiet criticism from the West.

In February 2025, India imported 1.48 million barrels per day of crude oil from Russia, down from 1.67 million bpd the month before, but still placing Russia as India’s top oil supplier.

This economic engagement has raised eyebrows in Ukraine, particularly after the destruction of Kusum’s warehouse. Kyiv’s public accusation of deliberate targeting by Moscow could signal a strain in Ukraine-India relations, potentially pressuring New Delhi to re-evaluate its diplomatic tightrope walk.

Ironically, the strike came just hours after Russia accused Ukraine of violating a U.S.-brokered moratorium on attacks against each other’s energy infrastructure.

The agreement, reached last month, was intended to reduce further harm to civilian life and vital services. However, both countries have repeatedly blamed one another for breaching the ceasefire terms.

The destruction of a civilian pharmaceutical warehouse, especially one linked to a non-aligned nation like India, adds another layer of complexity to a conflict already marred by accusations of war crimes and civilian targeting.

As Russia continues its aerial campaigns and Ukraine retaliates with drone strikes, the humanitarian toll rises—not only for Ukrainians but for international businesses operating in the region. India, while maintaining a careful diplomatic balance, may now face increasing pressure to respond more assertively to actions that endanger its citizens’ investments and livelihoods abroad.

Whether New Delhi will issue a formal condemnation remains to be seen, but the loss of the Kusum facility underscores the unpredictable dangers foreign firms face in conflict zones—and the broader implications of war that reach well beyond the battlefield.