A Russian drone attack on a pharmaceutical plant belonging to India’s Kusum Group in the Ukrainian city of Sumy resulted in one death and several others injured.
A major pharmaceutical plant belonging to India’s Kusum Group in the Ukrainian city of Sumy was attacked by a Russian drone. One person was killed and several others were injured in the attack. NDTV reports that the plant’s main building suffered extensive damage and a large portion was almost completely destroyed. The number of dead and injured may change further depending on data emerging from relief and rescue operations.
Videos and photos released after the drone strike showed a large plume of smoke rising from around the plant. The attack caused significant damage to the pharmaceutical plant’s main structure. Local authorities are assessing the damage and casualties. This Kusum Group plant continued to operate even during the Russia-Ukraine war. The company has suffered significant losses following the attack. According to initial estimates, the losses could be at least ₹400 crore.
The business began in 1994 with the distribution of medicines in Ukraine.
The Kusum Group began its business in Ukraine in 1994 as a distributor of Indian pharmaceuticals. At that time, the company shipped medicines from India to Ukraine and distributed them. Currently, the group is run by Indian national Rajiv Gupta. In 2002, the company stopped distributing other companies’ products and began marketing its own brand of medicines. Subsequently, the group entered the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector. Its first manufacturing plant opened in India in 2007, while a pharmaceutical plant was established in Sumy, Ukraine, in 2009. Subsequently, two more plants were opened in India.
Drug trade in more than 9 countries
According to the Kusum Group, it manufactures over 50 pharmaceuticals, most of which are generic drugs. The company sells its products in over nine countries. In addition to Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines are among its major markets. The company bills itself as a Ukrainian company with Indian roots. Despite the years-long war between Russia and Ukraine, production activities at its Sumy plant continued.
Russia continues to use martyr drones
Since the summer, Russia has significantly increased its use of fast and relatively inexpensive jet-powered drones in Ukraine. Dozens of drones are being launched daily. Intercepting these drones remains a challenge for Ukraine’s air defense system, as the interceptor drones used to intercept them often lag behind the speed of the drones.
Ukraine uses homemade ballistic missile for the first time
Meanwhile, Ukraine this week announced the first combat use of its domestically developed ballistic missile, the FP-7. According to Ukraine, this missile has a range of approximately 250 kilometers. This move comes at a time when Russia has been increasingly using drone attacks against various parts of Ukraine.
