Ukraine accuses Russia of destroying Indian pharma warehouse storing lifesaving drugs in Kyiv attack

Indian pharma warehouse in Ukraine targeted in Russian strike, Kyiv alleges

A warehouse operated by Kusum Healthcare, a leading Indian pharmaceutical company, was allegedly struck during a Russian aerial assault on Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, on April 12, 2025. The Ukrainian embassy in India has claimed that the facility, which stored essential medicines for children and the elderly, was destroyed in what it described as a “deliberate” attack targeting Indian businesses. While Russian authorities have not commented on the specific site, the incident marks a significant development in the ongoing conflict that continues to disrupt civilian infrastructure and cross-border commercial interests.

The warehouse strike was first publicized by Ukraine’s embassy in New Delhi through a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), where it linked the incident to what it described as Moscow‘s duplicity in expressing “special friendship” with India, while simultaneously endangering Indian commercial assets. The Ukrainian statement came in response to a post by British ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, who stated that a major pharmaceutical storage facility in Kyiv had been “completely destroyed” by Russian drones. While Harris did not explicitly name Kusum Healthcare, the Ukrainian embassy connected the event to the Indian firm directly.

What is Kusum Healthcare’s role in Ukraine’s pharmaceutical supply chain?

Kusum Healthcare, a New Delhi-based pharmaceutical manufacturer with deep ties to Eastern Europe, has maintained a significant operational presence in Ukraine for over a decade. The company is part of the Kusum Group of Companies, which manufactures and distributes a wide range of essential medicines including antibiotics, paediatric formulations, and chronic care drugs. It operates manufacturing facilities in both India and Ukraine and employs over 2,000 professionals across its locations.

The facility reportedly damaged in Kyiv is a key storage and logistics hub for distributing medicines across the region. Given the strained healthcare infrastructure amid ongoing conflict, such warehouses serve a vital role in maintaining the country’s access to critical medical supplies. By targeting this infrastructure, Ukrainian authorities allege that Russia is aggravating the humanitarian crisis through strategic disruption of medical supply chains.

Was the Indian warehouse directly targeted in the Russian strike?

There remains some ambiguity surrounding whether the Kusum Healthcare warehouse was the intended target or if it became collateral damage amid a broader campaign. While the Ukrainian government has framed the strike as deliberate, there is no independent verification of intent. Russian forces have routinely denied targeting civilian infrastructure and maintain that their military actions focus on logistics and energy-related assets tied to Ukrainian defence operations.

However, the British envoy’s description of the strike as a drone attack—rather than a missile strike as described by Ukraine—suggests further confusion around the method and precise objective of the assault. This discrepancy could indicate either simultaneous attacks with different technologies or conflicting observations in the chaotic aftermath. Regardless, the outcome was a significant blow to pharmaceutical logistics in the region.

How has India responded to the alleged attack on Kusum Healthcare?

As of April 13, the Indian government has not issued an official statement in response to the warehouse strike. India has maintained a diplomatic tightrope throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, continuing to call for peaceful negotiations while refraining from condemning either side outright. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly emphasised dialogue, sovereignty, and global stability, avoiding entanglement in geopolitical polarisation.

India’s position has drawn criticism from some Western powers but has been lauded domestically for prioritising strategic autonomy. However, if further evidence emerges that Indian business interests are being directly targeted, it could pressure New Delhi to recalibrate its neutrality, especially given its deepening trade and defence ties with both Russia and the West.

How does this strike fit into the broader escalation in Ukraine?

The alleged strike comes amid a renewed phase of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine despite a nominal US-brokered moratorium on strikes targeting each other’s energy infrastructure. On the same day, Russia’s defence ministry accused Ukraine of launching five attacks on Russian energy assets. This tit-for-tat violation of ceasefire norms has become a pattern over the past year, with each side blaming the other for escalating tensions.

The attack on pharmaceutical infrastructure in Kyiv is emblematic of a broader strategy by Russia to systematically degrade Ukraine’s civilian resilience. Alongside repeated bombardments of power grids, water facilities, and food warehouses, the destruction of a drug distribution center further undermines public health outcomes and civilian morale.

What are the global business implications of such incidents?

The strike on an Indian company’s facility in a foreign conflict zone raises pressing concerns for multinational enterprises operating in geopolitically unstable environments. Companies like Kusum Healthcare face enormous challenges in safeguarding assets abroad, especially in sectors like pharmaceuticals where uninterrupted supply chains are critical to public health.

Insurance coverage, operational risk modelling, and diplomatic backchannels will now play a larger role for Indian companies engaged in international ventures, particularly in countries at war or under sanctions. The targeting—whether deliberate or accidental—of an Indian business also reinforces how quickly neutral or friendly nations can find themselves economically entangled in distant conflicts.

Furthermore, this event highlights the growing risks to South-South cooperation, where companies from developing nations expand into fellow emerging markets. The destruction of Kusum’s warehouse may deter other Indian firms from investing or maintaining operations in Ukraine despite long-term opportunities for rebuilding healthcare systems post-war.

What’s next for India-Ukraine-Russia relations in this context?

While India has so far walked a neutral path, continued allegations of deliberate targeting of its businesses may prompt diplomatic protests or requests for assurances. Ukraine, through its embassy’s messaging, appears to be appealing to Indian public opinion and policymakers to reconsider their stance, positioning Russia’s actions as contradictory to its proclaimed friendship with India.

The coming weeks may see heightened scrutiny of Indian infrastructure in Ukraine and the potential involvement of Indian diplomatic missions to assess damages and liaise with Ukrainian counterparts. If follow-up investigations confirm intentional targeting, this could have implications for New Delhi’s broader strategy in balancing its partnerships with the West, Russia, and the Global South.