On April 12, 2025, a warehouse belonging to Kusum Healthcare, an Indian pharmaceutical company in Kyiv, was severely damaged in an attack amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The Ukrainian Embassy in India immediately accused Russia of deliberately targeting the facility, emphasising that the warehouse stored critical medicines for children and the elderly.

Ukraine’s statement framed the incident as part of a broader pattern, alleging that Russian forces have increasingly targeted Indian business establishments across Ukraine, despite Moscow’s public assertions of "special friendship" with India.

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office has since opened a criminal case into the destruction of Kusum’s property, reinforcing Ukraine’s stance that the strike was intentional and a violation of international norms.

The Ukrainian Embassy in India dismissed Russia’s denials as lacking credibility, stating, "Any attempt to justify terror is legally untenable, cynical in essence, and pathetic in terms of competence. Russia's arguments have no credibility". The embassy further likened Russia’s explanations to previous incidents, suggesting a pattern of denial and deflection.

In response, the Russian Embassy in India categorically denied any involvement, asserting that Russian forces did not target or plan to attack Kusum Healthcare’s warehouse on the specified date. According to Russia, their military actions that day were directed at Ukrainian military infrastructure elsewhere in the country.

The Russian side suggested that the damage was more likely caused by a misfired Ukrainian air defence missile, possibly due to "ineptly operated electronic warfare systems," and reiterated that Russian forces have "never targeted civilian facilities." Russia also accused Ukraine of deploying military equipment in urban areas, thereby endangering civilian infrastructure.

Adding to the complexity, the British Ambassador to Ukraine, Martin Harris, confirmed the destruction of a major pharmaceutical warehouse in Kyiv but attributed the attack to Russian drones rather than a missile.

He did not explicitly identify the warehouse as belonging to Kusum but highlighted the humanitarian impact of the loss, noting that medicines for vulnerable populations were destroyed.

As of now, neither the Indian government nor Kusum Healthcare’s owner, Rajeev Gupta, has made a public statement regarding the incident. India has maintained a neutral stance, calling for an end to violence without taking sides in the conflict.

Ukraine has initiated a formal investigation, firmly blaming Russia for the attack and dismissing Moscow’s counter-claims as baseless. Russia, meanwhile, denies any responsibility and suggests Ukrainian error is to blame. The incident has heightened diplomatic tensions, especially given the humanitarian and economic implications for Indian interests in Ukraine.

ANI